The trouble with wishes and other stories
by barbiedollsaway
Summary: Series of one shots. First chapter: the trouble with wishes... When Regina's wish to know what Emma is up to is granted, what seems to be nothing but trouble is quickly proven to be a blessing in disguise. SwanQueen. Second Chapter: The Honey Moon... What happens when the full moon brings more than Emma is ready for?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: When you wish upon a whiskey...**

There weren't many things that could take Regina by surprise. However, as she looked into Emma Swan's eyes as they stood in front of one another in the middle Granny's Diner that morning, she knew that she was standing and staring open mouthed at the blonde. Regina prided herself on always being prepared with a witty comeback or two and never letting anything or anyone catch her flatfooted. She set her reputation as Evil Queen and then as Mayor on her absolute unflappability. Until this point in time, there was no one who would have been able to look at Regina and say that she had ever been rendered utterly speechless.

"Regina? Are you okay?" Emma's voice interrupted her as the blonde regarded her worriedly.

"Ms. Swan, I'd thank you to mind your own business," Regina snapped. She felt a strong rush of relief course through her as the words managed to come out past her complete confusion.

_Geez, that's what I get for asking. One day I'll learn that the most beautiful things in nature are also the most dangerous._

Regina dropped her purse as Emma's thoughts crashed through her mind once more. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sea-green ones in front of her that gazed at her calmly with just a touch of confusion, irritation, and worry. Regina quickly knelt and picked up her bag, unable to tear her eyes from Emma's as her mind tried to process the how, the what, and the why. Her eyes widened as Emma slowly knelt in front of her, holding out a hand as though Regina were a wild animal.

"Regina, seriously, you're scaring me. Did something happen?"

_If someone has hurt her there will be hell to pay. Why can't others see what I see?_

The concern in Emma's eyes combined with the sincerity Regina could hear in her thoughts made Regina feel trapped, almost suffocated. She needed to get out of here and figure out what was going on. Why was she suddenly able to hear Emma's thoughts? She almost groaned as she remembered a conversation shared with Tinkerbell the night before over several glasses of whiskey at the Rabbit Hole.

"_I just want to know what she's up to. No one is that nice," Regina said emphatically, gesturing wildly with her drink to the blonde who sat laughing at the other end of the bar. Just Emma's presence served to unnerve her and she had been broodily staring into her drinks for the last hour. Tinkerbell nodded sympathetically as she tried to hold her head up. "If only I could just hear her thoughts, you know? Every twisted, evil plan in her fluffy, blonde head."_

_Tinkerbell's head dropped to the bar and bounced on impact. She raised her head blearily, rubbing a red spot that had appeared on her forehead. "Yeah, I bet she sits and plans how to do that stuff." Regina smiled at her friend, glad someone understood her._

"_It's hard to be good when someone is always plotting against you and you have no idea what it is. It's like I always need a plan in place just in case."_

"_An evil plan," Tinkerbell said with absolute certainty, her voice and face filled with sympathetic support. _

"_I just want to know her thoughts so I can prepare myself and Henry. There's nothing evil about that."_

"_You could ask her..." Tinkerbell's voice trailed off at the look Regina was giving her._

"_I can't just ASK her. No, I have to know but she can't know that I know. If she knew that I knew- especially if she knew that I knew that she knew- then it would be pointless for anyone to know." Tinkerbell's eyes crossed as she tried to follow the train of logic and she eventually gave up. "I just wish I could read her thoughts."_

_Tinkerbell smiled as Regina made her wish. She reached for the small locket she wore around her neck and with more grace than she should have had after seven tumblers of whiskey, she opened the locket and blew the fairy dust at Regina. "Wish granted," she beamed._

"Tinkerbell," Regina said and stood abruptly. Without a backwards glance she rushed from the diner to find the meddling fairy.

**Chapter 2: If you can't beat 'em, avoid 'em**

Regina sat in her office, her head buried in her hands. She had been unable to find Tinkerbell and she wondered for the hundredth time if the fairy was hiding from her. She didn't want to ask Blue where the wayward green fairy was, but Regina was quickly losing patience. She had managed to avoid Emma for the last two days and was beginning to hope that the fairy dust was wearing off- that is until she ran into Emma in front of the dry cleaners.

_Jaaaaallllapeno, with cheese... mmm mmm cheeeese... _Regina had heard the words in her head sung to the tune of one of the opening songs in the Lion King. _JalapenoOH rubbubbadub yeah uh huh._

"Ms. Swan," Regina had practically shouted causing the blonde to turn in guilty surprise. She watched as ice cream melted over Emma's hand and couldn't help but notice the smear of vanilla on the other woman's top lip.

"Regina? I just took a break to go get an ice cream. Honestly, I could work forty hours in a row and you'd catch me the two seconds I'd take to sneeze." Emma licked the melting ice cream, her eyes disgruntled as she watched Regina warily.

"I wonder what the taxpayers think every time they see you goofing off when you should be working?" Regina snapped as she tried to find her stride. She wanted to simply ignore Emma but the blonde was watching her intently.

"Listen, I've called _you_ for the last two days needing _YOUR_ signature to finish my paperwork. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were avoiding me."

_Is she avoiding me? I can't imagine that anything intimidates Regina Mills and I've certainly done nothing to her... except in my fantasies._ As Emma's eyes dropped momentarily to the top of Regina's blouse, Regina felt her cheeks heat up at the thoughts that began running out of control through Emma's mind. _I wish she'd undo one more button... I just want to bury my face between those lush... mmmm... drag my teeth over that smooth skin... I wonder if her nipples are brown or rosy, doubt they're pink... I'd suck her nipple so hard while I..._

"Ms. Swan!" she said in a strangled voice. Emma's eyes found her own and Regina tried to find something to say. She couldn't believe Emma's face could look so innocent while having the thoughts she was having! "Bring the paperwork by and leave it with my secretary." Regina could feel the hot blush on her cheeks and knew the tips of her ears were burning just as brightly. She whirled around and practically ran back to her car, trying to put as much distance between herself and Emma as possible.

Regina couldn't believe that Emma Swan would DARE to think about her in such... such... LEWD terms. She tried to control her breathing but every time she would calm herself Emma's thoughts would rush over her bringing an uncomfortable heat that settled low in her stomach. As she made her way from her car to her office, she took her thoughts in hand and forcibly calmed them, making herself think in terms of how she could use the information gained to her advantage.

The problem was- Regina didn't see any advantage. Unless she wanted to seduce the Saviour by using the hedonist's thoughts against her then Regina didn't see any advantage. She felt the blush trying to return to her cheeks as she briefly contemplated seducing the blonde. However, every time she tried to think about it she quickly discarded the thoughts. Emma Swan was too much of an unknown to put herself on the line like that. Regina would be risking more than her reputation if she tried to seduce the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and it backfired.

Maybe Emma doesn't have any secret motives. Regina furiously stuffed the betraying thought deep into her mind, then mentally stomped it for good measure. Just because she hadn't figured out the Sheriff's true motivation didn't mean that it wasn't there hidden behind nonsensical songs and obscene thoughts.

Regina forcibly pushed Emma Swan from her thoughts and began working through the stacks of forms on her desk. She was trying to figure out a way to apply for governmental funding without bringing in any auditors or suspicions upon her town. When she had cast the curse she hadn't been aware of things such as secondary education and how much it cost to upkeep the roads. She sighed as she delved deeper into her paperwork, thoughts of Emma quickly being replaced by the rising costs of road repairs.

"You can't go in there! The Mayor does not wish to be disturbed!" Regina looked up in surprise as her secretary's voice rose. She could see the silhouette of the woman as she tried to bodily bar the door but wasn't surprised when the door was flung open to reveal Emma Swan. "I apologize, Madame Mayor," Sarah began and quieted as Regina sighed and lifted her hand dismissing the woman.

"Ms. Swan, my secretary doesn't sit there every day as a show piece nor does she speak just to hear her own words."

"I didn't want to leave my paperwork with her since it is so important." Emma said sarcastically. "Besides, it needs your signature before she can file it. I wanted to make sure that everything was completed."

_And I wanted to see you again._

Emma's thought sounded wistful and took Regina by surprise. She was proud of herself that none of her surprise reflected in her perfectly schooled features. With a hand, she directed Emma to a seat in front of her desk and held out the other for the stack of paperwork. She sighed as Emma threw herself into the expensive leather and placed one booted foot on top of the opposite leg's knee.

Without a word, Regina began scanning the documents.

"You're going to read every one?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Yes, Ms. Swan. I will not sign my name to something just because you say I should." Regina didn't look up from the paperwork, and though Emma remained silent, her thoughts spoke more than clearly.

_Of course you don't trust anything or anyone. You'd think after everything we've been through together you'd trust me enough to sign a freaking piece of paperwork. I guess... I guess I understand though. So many people have manipulated and tricked you. I could have anything in there for you to sign that could say anything. Like your own execution. A warrant for your own arrest. Custody papers. Not that I want full custody. I just want to know our amazing kid. He's amazing because of you. I'd like to know the person that raised such an awesome kid. You'll always see me as Henry's birth mom or Snow White's daughter, though, won't you. I'll never just be Emma. I've always just been a title no matter where I've lived. Foster kid. Birth mother. Mortal enemy's daughter. Oh my god, I hate myself when I feel sorry for myself. Snap out of it, Swan._

Regina was completely distracted by Emma's thoughts but had the presence of mind to continue flipping the pages in her hands. She suddenly wished that she didn't have this insight into Emma's mind. She found that she didn't actually know what to do with the information she was gleaning, and she felt bad that she was breaking Emma's privacy and trust on a deep level. She hadn't intended for Tinkerbell to take her seriously. Never make a wish even in passing to a drunk fairy, Regina chanted inside her head as she began signing the papers. Her pen slipped as Emma's thoughts began filling her mind again.

_I love when she bites her bottom lip like that. I want to run my tongue over it before sucking it between my own lips. I bet she's a wonderful kisser. God, just look at those lips! I bet they'd feel so soft and wet all over my body. I'd love to look down my body into her eyes while she puts those sweet, lush lips to use going down on m-_

"I've signed them all!" Regina practically shouted, frantically interrupting Emma's thoughts and fantasies. Regina was completely unprepared to discover that this morning wasn't a fluke and that Emma Swan did indeed desire her. Regina tried to control the shaking in her hands as she pushed the papers towards Emma who sat in the chair looking at her in surprise.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked. "You have seriously been off this week."

"Please take your paperwork and go," Regina said, wincing at the breathlessness in her own voice. She cleared her throat and looked down at the desk top. Her fingers played nervously with the pen in her hand and she carefully looked anywhere but at Emma.

_She's so distant. And odd. Definitely odd. I wish she'd smile at me._

Emma's last thought as she gathered her paperwork and left stayed long after the woman herself had left. Regina was left completely stunned by the words and the wistful sadness she could feel surrounding them. Was this Emma's plan, then? She wanted Regina to like her so that she could... what? Regina played everything over and over in her head, trying to figure out what she was missing when it came to Emma Swan and her nefarious plans.

**Chapter 3: What dreams may come?**

Regina rubbed lotion onto her skin and sighed contentedly. Tonight, Henry had asked if he could help with dinner, and he had talked to her about school and his comics the entire time. It felt good to spend time with her son when he wasn't questioning her motives or convinced that any day she was going to revert back into the Evil Queen. Afterward, he had carefully dried the dishes and put them away as Regina washed them, both slipping easily into the banter they'd enjoyed before Snow White had given him that dreadful book.

Regina's thoughts wandered to Emma and her hands slowed as she rubbed lotion on her legs. The blonde was still such an enigma to Regina and, even with Tinkerbell granting her wish, Regina felt as if she knew even less about the saviour than she did before. Between the ridiculous songs Emma always seemed to be humming in her head and the fact that she couldn't go three minutes without picturing Regina naked it was almost like peering into an adolescent boy's mind.

She wondered if she focused could she hear Emma's thoughts wherever the blonde was? It seemed to Regina that such a psychic connection should still work even though there was distance between them as it appeared that Emma's thoughts were the strongest when Regina was near. Regina focused her thoughts and concentrated on the blonde sheriff and was almost instantly rewarded as Emma's thoughts filled her mind.

_Fractals are so beautiful. I don't understand how no two can ever be alike. And if there's no mathematical end to them, how do they even exist? At the absolute root of everything, are we all connected to this huge fractal and we are each a shifting shoot of it's design? Is that why it is so unique? Oh, gummy bears! Delicious. Gummy bears! Bouncing here and there and everywhere..._

The words trailed off into a muted humming and Regina sat speechless in her bed. How did someone go from contemplating the origins of life through mathematics to singing the intro song to an eighties cartoon? She was surprised to feel an amused warmth spreading through her as she reached out to touch Emma's thoughts once more.

_Where the hell is my phone? Of course... it is always under my butt cheek. Why would it be anywhere else like, oh, on the night stand? I should call David. I didn't mean to be rude. I just can't stand their stories about always finding each other, always finding family. The truth is, I don't believe in it. They didn't find me. If love is as strong and powerful as they say then they would have known they were missing something. Well, Snow should have. David was asleep for all those years. She felt him. She didn't feel me. So, no, it's hard to believe in a mother's love and their stories and sometimes I just can't listen to it or them while they play the blame game. I don't want to listen to anything derogatory about Regina. I just can't. I... I think I like her. I'm definitely gay for her._

Regina gasped and lost her concentration and thus her connection to Emma's thoughts. She felt herself blushing furiously as she realized that she wanted to connect with Emma's mind once more and find out exactly where Emma's naughtier thoughts led. With a disgruntled sigh, Regina swung her legs into bed and pulled the sheets up over her. With a pleased smile, she enjoyed the way her silken nightgown lay across the tops of her thighs and how wonderful the cool high-thread sheets felt against her skin.

Her thoughts immediately drifted back to Emma. In the dark of her room, nestled safely under her covers, she allowed herself the luxury of thinking of the other woman. Emma was beautiful. Regina often found herself wanted to tangle her fingers in Emma's long, blonde waves and wild curls. She never failed to be captivated by the way the sunlight reflected off the green in the other woman's eyes- eyes which could turn the color of stormy seas when Emma was thoroughly angered. She liked Emma's height, especially the length of the blonde's long legs that ended in a spectacular ass. Regina was no stranger to the female body, and she could definitely appreciate Emma's form for everything that it was. What was amazing to Regina is that Emma didn't seem to know how sexy she was.

Although, Regina had never met anyone more frustrating. Emma was as stubborn as her father and possibly even more reckless than her mother. Regina had rarely seen Emma truly angry but, when she had, the force of Emma's ire had truly been magnificent to watch – even if it had been directed at Regina almost every time. Regina wondered if Emma made love the same way- intense and targeted. Emma seemed to be such a sensual woman and Regina found herself imagining that Emma used all her senses to please her lover.

Regina found sleep elusive as thoughts and fantasies of Emma began plaguing her mind. She twisted out of the sheets as her body began to heat and groaned as her silk nightgown felt like a lover's hand caressing her thighs as she twisted and turned in bed. Regina shoved her head into her pillow and groaned loudly, cursing Tinkerbell for the two hundredth time since the fairy had granted Regina's wish. What on Earth had made the green fairy think it was a good idea? However, Regina couldn't deny that she was pleased that Tinkerbell had shown such trust and loyalty to her and had taken Regina's side without question.

Maybe just one more time, Regina thought to herself. Maybe she'd peek into Emma's thoughts just once more, just enough to set her own mind at ease. If Emma were asleep, then Regina wouldn't be forced to lie awake wondering what the other woman was plotting in the deep hours of the night. Yes, it was an excellent idea and she couldn't find any flaws with her own logic. And even if she could, she ruthlessly shut them down. Of course, Emma was asleep. Regina felt a wave of regret as she settled on her stomach, her arms wrapped around her pillow.

Regina's mind began to drift and sleep claimed her quickly once her body stilled in the bed. Regina was surprised with the speed in which their minds connected as Regina began to dream. Regina began to wonder if the ease of seeing into Emma's thoughts and the speed with which she connected over a distance was based on whether or not Emma was thinking about her. And Emma was definitely thinking about her. Or rather, dreaming about her. Regina tried to resist the dream but found that her heart and soul did not want to resist. With a mental sigh, Regina gave in to the pull of the dream and found herself beginning to actively participate as her sleeping consciousness slid into dream Regina and took over.

_Regina's tongue was lapping lightly at Emma's slit, pushing with just enough force to part the lips but not enough to touch the bundle of aching nerves begging for the brunette's kiss. Emma spread her legs wider, her hand tangled in Regina's silky hair as her hips rose from the bed to meet the small licks that were driving her crazy. With a sexy smile, Regina locked eyes with Emma before pushing her tongue between the swollen lips and thrusting inside Emma's tight, velvety depths._

"_That feels so good," Emma whimpered, her voice husky and low with desire. Regina closed her eyes as her tongue slid up to slowly pulse and lathe against Emma's clitoris. Regina couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her as Emma gasped and thrust her hips up to meet Regina's tongue. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's thighs, Emma's legs over Regina's shoulders, feet moving on Regina's back for leverage as she continued thrusting towards Regina's mouth._

"_You taste divine," Regina whispered, her breath teasing the wet flesh beneath her lips and causing Emma to arch her back with need and desire. Regina took Emma's clitoris lightly between her teeth before wrapping her lips around it and sucking lightly as she lathed her tongue wetly over the throbbing nub. Emma cried out, her back arching completely off the bed, her sex thrusting into Regina's mouth and the pleasure it was bringing the blonde._

"_Make me yours," Emma pleaded in a whisper as her body began to shake beneath Regina's onslaught. The words and the blonde's surrender coiled inside Regina and released something primal inside the brunette, something that wanted to possess and claim the blonde writhing beneath her._

_Without releasing Emma's thighs nor pulling her mouth away from the feast spread out before her, Regina pulled back onto her knees as she sat back on her feet. Emma's hips then body lifted from the bed until only her shoulders and head remained, the rest of her body held tightly against Regina's mouth and body as the brunette spread Emma's legs further. With a moan of pure wanton need, Regina pushed her tongue inside Emma, curling the tip to catch the rough spot just inside her entrance. _

"_Fuck! Regina!" Emma gasped, her hands clawing at the bed for something to hold as Regina took her to new heights of pleasure. With a growl, Regina ran the flat of her tongue from Emma's entrance to her clitoris and back again, using the tip of her tongue to curl around the tightening bundle and curve into the blonde. Emma's hands found Regina's legs and her fingers held on to the brunette's toned thighs as Regina's tongue stroked, fucked, licked, sucked, kissed, and lathed her body into orgasm. _

"_So good. Ohh, god, I'm- I'm going to- fuck- I'm cumming!" Emma cried out, her shoulders coming off the bed, her feet digging into Regina's back, and her nails scratching Regina's thighs. Emma's cries of pleasure increased into almost screams as Regina lowered her to the bed and forced her thighs apart with her knees only to slide two fingers deep inside Emma's soaking and ready sex._

"_More," Regina said as her lips claimed Emma's, catching the other woman's gasps and moans as she fucked her relentlessly towards another orgasm. She could feel the blonde's center tightening and clutching her fingers before fluttering rapidly as Emma's body erupted around her. Warm liquid coated Regina's fingers and pooled in her palm as her rapid thrusts slowed to gentle corkscrew movements that pulled every delicious ounce of pleasure from the other woman's body._

"_Yours," Emma panted breathlessly as she arched into Regina's slow thrusts, as the brunette coaxed another orgasm from her. Her nails found Regina's shoulders and she dug in with pleasure as her body clenched and throbbed around the brunette. _

"_Emma," Regina sighed against the kiss swollen lips, wishing she would never wake and could stay here with Emma. Wait, what? _

"_Regina?" Emma's voice was filled with longing and..._

Regina pulled back into herself with a gasp, her eyes flying wide open in the darkness of her room as she sat upright in bed. What the hell was that?! Regina began to realize as she sat awake in her room, her sex throbbing with desire, that she had lost all control when her wish was fulfilled. Emma Swan's thoughts and dreams were now the center of Regina's own and she had no one to blame but herself.

**Chapter 4: All the things she said**

Regina had finally managed to fall back to sleep in the early morning hours and get a few hours of fitful sleep. Luckily she was skilled at applying make-up to cover the dark circles under her eyes but nothing could cover up the shell shocked look in her eyes as she contemplated the night before. After she dropped Henry off at school, she drove slowly back to Granny's diner, carefully keeping her mind from the details of the dream while she contemplated the dream itself.

It was Emma's dream which meant that Regina had been trapped into what Emma had dreamed of her doing. Right? There was no way that Regina was able to control her dream self even if she remembered very distinctly the touch, feel, and taste of the blonde woman she'd made love to. Regina slammed on her brakes at the last thought nearly causing a traffic accident. She ignored the horns and angry shouts from the cars behind her as well as the curious glances people threw her way as she sat in the middle of the street dumbfounded.

With a renewed vigor, Regina stomped the gas and her car lurched forward as she headed to the church. She didn't know if Tinkerbell would be there but she hoped Blue's reputation for following tradition and duty would see the green fairy there with the rest of the fairies as they opened the food bank and prepared for their upcoming spring charity drives. She parked across three parking spaces and quickly rushed towards the church, leaving her door open and her car on.

"Tinkerbell!" Regina shouted as she entered the building, causing every eye to turn her way. At the sight of a frantic mayor, most of the fairies quickly found other places to be leaving the green fairy exposed and snoring as she curled up asleep on a bench. Regina poked her in the side and loudly said her name once more causing the fairy to blink blearily before her eyes fell on Regina's.

"Regina!" she said straightening up abruptly and banging her head against the mayor's. "Ow, sorry about that."

"Damn it, Tink. You're coming with me," Regina said, hauling the fairy to her feet and dragging her towards her car.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Blue shouted indignantly from behind them but Regina only flipped her off before throwing the green fairy in her car and climbing in after her. Tinkerbell tried the passenger door and Regina smirked.

"Child locks are on," she said, her voice deadly but laced with stress. It was the stress that quieted Tinkerbell's struggles as she turned to look at Regina in concern. "Take it back," Regina said, biting her lip in nervousness.

"I can't," Tinkerbell said in a small voice, knowing instantly to what Regina was referring. "It must be pretty bad. I've never seen you so upset."

"Bad? You don't know the half of it."

"So she IS plotting against you? That bitch." Tinkerbell thrust her fist against her palm as she fumed.

"What? No. Why didn't you tell me I'd be pulled into her dreams as well?" Tinkerbell looked at Regina in confusion causing the brunette to lose her patience. "Your fairy dust should come with a user's booklet! I... I don't want to hear anymore. I got pulled into her dream. Why did you grant that stupid wish?" Regina banged her head on the steering wheel causing the horn to give off an abrupt honk and drawing attention to the two. Tinkerbell waved casually and smiled at their onlookers, hoping to reassure them that she was not falling victim to the Evil Queen. She definitely didn't want to have to answer for this or explain.

"It doesn't work that way," she said slowly. "You can't be pulled into Emma's dreams. That requires a deeper connection than I think you're even capable of." Regina glared at her balefully from where her head continued to rest of the steering wheel.

"Well then please explain why I was subjected to Ms. Swan's... dream?" At Tinkerbell's confused expression Regina sighed. "Just, take it back. Do whatever you need to do to reverse it."

"I can't," Tinkerbell said quietly, fear lacing the words as she cowered against the door. Who knew that she would die on such a beautiful spring morning? She closed her eyes and prepared for death. When it didn't come she cracked an eye and saw Regina staring at her in shock.

"What..."

"You have to fulfill the terms of the dust. I granted your wish to see what it was Emma was up to, so you could find out what she was after, what she wanted. Until you figure that out, you can't get rid of it."

"Oh, I see." Regina said breathlessly. She could find no way out of this. If Emma continued to sing jalapeno songs in her head then she may never know what it was the woman was up to. Although... the dreams weren't too bad. Regina squeezed her eyes shut as she ruthlessly squelched the thought. "Get out," Regina said, releasing the child locks. Tinkerbell sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I thought I was doing you a favor."

"I know," Regina said quietly and looked up, managing a warm smile for the fairy. "Thank you."

Regina didn't know how she managed to drive to Granny's with no accidents. Tinkerbell's words were bouncing around in her head and she could see no way out of her dilemma short of asking Emma straight out. She figured she may end up having to go to Gold for help and the thought alone was enough to sicken her.

She was relieved to see that Emma was not in the diner. Regina had most likely missed her since she was running late this morning due to her impromptu visit with Tinkerbell. She slid into a chair at the bar and realized after a few moments that Ruby was trying to get her attention.

"Sorry?"

"I asked if you were having the usual. Are you okay, Madame Mayor?" Regina looked up into the girl's eyes and nodded.

"I'm fine. Actually I'd just like a coffee, if you will."

The bell over the door jingled and Ruby threw a warm smile that way as she walked away to fill Regina's order. Regina knew who it was before she turned around but that still didn't stop her heart from pounding almost out of her chest as a single thought hit her with the force of an explosion.

_She so gorgeous sitting with the sun splashing across her hair and bringing out the amber in her eyes._

"Ms. Swan," Regina said in greeting, hoping her increased heart rate and damp hands weren't visible to the blonde. She turned and her breath caught in her throat. Emma, simply put, looked as though she had been ravished the night before. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips plump, her skin glowing. Pheromones flowed from the blonde like honey from a comb and Regina felt her own body respond as heat uncoiled in her belly like a bolt of lightning.

"Before you say anything, Regina, I'm not late. I had a weird call I had to go to first thing. I'm just grabbing some coffee."

"Was everything okay?" Regina asked, turning to look down at the bar in front of her as Emma slid in beside her. She could feel Emma's surprise as well as hear it in her thoughts at the question and the attempt at small talk .

_Something has to be wrong. I wish she'd talk to me._

"Yes. The problem had corrected itself before I even got there." At Regina's questioning look she continued. "Apparently a car stopped in the middle of traffic but it was gone when I got there." Regina cleared her throat and looked up as Ruby approached her. As the wolf gave her an odd look, Regina knew Ruby could hear her heart thundering and in her chest. She quickly threw payment on the counter as she slid off the stool. She thought her heart was going to beat completely out of her chest when Emma stopped her mid-reach for her coffee with a soft touch on her arm.

_When she looks at me from under her lashes like that it's all I can do to not kiss her senseless._

"Ms. Swan, please, if you need something text or call me. I really need to go." Regina hated the breathless tone of her voice and she could feel Ruby's watchful eyes on her. However, the feel of Emma's hand on her arm held her in place as though she were pinned under a mountain.

_She just said please. I want to fuck her over and over while she begs me for more. _

Emma shook her head as Regina fought the urge to throw herself into the blonde's arms. She licked her lips and Emma's eyes followed the tip of her tongue as though hypnotized under Regina's spell.

_Focus, Emma, stop thinking about your dream and think about Regina. Isn't that what I'm doing? Fuck, she felt so good and she was so wild... no, no, no. Something is wrong and you need to FOCUS. Stop thinking about the way your hands looked tangled in her hair as she went down on you like-_

"Emma!" Emma looked at Regina in surprise and Regina realized she had used the woman's first name. "I need... you can... appointment. Or call. No! Don't call. Text. Don't... I'm going." As Regina fled she realized she had forgotten her coffee but she was damned if she were going back inside and putting herself next to Emma Swan.

**Chapter 5: When is a door not a door?**

Regina paced the length of her office. She realized she was wringing her hands and a wry smile lifted her lips. Only Emma Swan had ever been able to get this reaction from her and Regina was unsure how to handle it. Plus, she also felt as though she had taken advantage of Emma even though it was Emma's dream. Should she feel guilty? She knew she should say something to Emma but how on earth does one go about approaching THAT particular conversation?

"How indeed?" Regina muttered then clawed the air in surprise when a voice answered.

"I was asking myself the same thing." Regina turned and came face to face with none other than Emma Swan. The blonde was watching her with a quizzical expression and Regina felt a moment of awe as she realized that Emma was someone who truly watched and listened without her mind cluttering up what her senses were telling her. Fascinating.

"Ms. Swan! Do you make a habit of sneaking up on people?" Emma tilted her head with a small smile and Regina found herself getting lost in Emma's beautiful green eyes. Emma's smile widened with her gorgeous smile and Regina found she was returning Emma's smile.

_I don't know what I did to get Regina Mills to smile at me like that but I hope I keep doing it._

Regina turned her head shyly and looked at her desk, her fingertips trailing the edge.

"I'm sorry to drop in unannounced but I wanted to see if you'd like to go to the meeting together." Regina's eyes widened as her mouth formed a surprised 'o'. She had completely forgotten about the council meeting! With a groan, she sat in her seat and dropped her head on the desk.

_I've never seen Regina so... space cadet! It's like her mind is completely on something else... or someone. Has she met someone...?_

Emma's amusement then prompt feelings of jealousy were palpable through her thoughts. Regina quickly stood and grabbed her briefcase, jamming several random file folders into it. She was thankful that she was always prepared a week ahead of time and just hoped that she could make it through the meeting without embarrassing herself. Regina quickly shoved aside her conflicted feelings about Emma and moved towards the door.

"Coming, Ms. Swan?"

_Oh, I wish, Madame Mayor. I wish I was cumming all over your pretty, little mouth._

Regina missed a step and fell into the door, closing it just as she began pulling it open. A soft whoosh of air left her lips and she heard Emma's surprised laugh behind her.

"Not another word, Ms. Swan, if you value your life." Regina strode down the hall, chin up and head held high. She looked completely poised and in control- now if only she could stop the burning in her cheeks.

She entered the conference room and was surprised to find that she and Emma were the last two to arrive. Regina usually arrived twenty minutes early and she supposed she had begun to take for granted that the others followed her lead and arrived at least ten minutes early. She quietly plugged in her thumb drive and loaded the councils agenda which projected onto a large screen behind her. Her eyes lifted and fell immediately on Emma's who was watching her intently.

Regina tuned out Emma's thoughts as best she could as she launched into the meeting. She was thankful that Emma was, as usual, playing angry birds during the meeting. The only thoughts that crept across her mind were random curse words and mental snarls aimed at chuckling pigs. As Regina took her seat as the town's construction engineer rose, she realized a second too late that as the last two to arrive, she and Emma were seated directly beside one another.

Emma locked her phone and leaned forward with her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands as Marco rambled on about preparations needed to face the coming storm season. Regina nodded appropriately and watched raptly as he clumsily flicked through his power point presentation. Her eyes barely widened as Emma's thoughts began to climb her carefully constructed walls and intrude on her own thoughts.

_I wonder if Regina bites her lip like that on purpose because she knows how fucking sexy it is. It makes me want to very bad things to her._

Regina abruptly stopped biting her lip and pretended to take some notes. Marco seemed nervous and pleased that the mayor was taking such interest in his presentation. He stood a little straighter and brushed imaginary hair out of his eyes as he continued.

_I wish I'd gotten a chance to touch her in my dream last night. Oh my god, that dream... it was so realistic. I swear it felt like I was physically in that dream. One minute I'm dreaming and the next I feel like I'm being pulled into my dream and I wake up and there she is looking at me like she can't believe we were there making love. Making...? Yes. Wow, I even have intimacy problems in my own head._

Regina watched out of the corner of her eyes as Emma's head fell forward into her hands, her palms covering her eyes momentarily. She leaned back in her chair and Regina did the same. She refused to acknowledge to herself that she wanted to see Emma, but that's exactly what it was. If she could see Emma while hearing her thoughts it was as though they were sharing a very intimate conversation.

I wish you'd touched me too,Regina thought, surprised at how much she craved the blonde's hands on her. She wished Emma could hear her thoughts like she could hear the blonde's. At least then Regina would maybe be able to make heads or tails out what she was feeling herself.

Regina stood when Marco finished and nodded politely as he took his seat. She turned to the screen and began outlining what the city needed to do to prepare for Marco's repairs and maintenance. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as Emma's thoughts caressed her and caused her to stumble over her words.

_God, her ass looks fantastic in that skirt. I bet it feels exactly how it looks... tight, firm, and very bite-able. I bet if I spanked her it would barely move at all. And that skirt should be illegal. Seriously. I want to kneel beneath her desk and slide my head up under her skirt and make her scream my name. Yeah, that's definitely an image for the spank bank. I wonder what she thinks about when she masturbates. _

As Emma began picturing Regina masturbating in vivid detail, Regina nearly squeaked as she called the meeting to an end. The other councilmen and women looked at one another in confusion as it was obvious that Regina had nine more slides to go. However, no one was going to argue with her and they gladly fled the room wondering what had distracted the mayor so much.

Emma, ever oblivious that everyone had left except her and Regina, stared at the screen completely lost in her own thoughts. Regina took a moment to watch Emma as Emma's thoughts chased across her mind.

"Ms. Swan, it is very obvious you aren't paying attention as the meeting ended five minutes ago." Emma jerked in her seat and peered quickly around the room. A blush rose in her cheeks as she cleared her throat.

_Fuck. Busted._

"Guess I'm busted."

"I don't think anyone actually expects you to pay attention, and we are all better off without your attempts at presenting."

_Why does she always have to be a bitch to me?_

"Why do you always have to be such a bitch to me?" Emma asked. Regina was a little thrown that Emma's words were following directly with her thoughts. She'd never known anyone who spoke their mind the way Emma Swan did. It was too good to be true. Her eyes narrowed at the thought. Maybe Tinkerbell and Emma were working together and this was an elaborate hoax to pull one over on her.

"Do I need any other reasons than the ones you've with which you've already provided me?" Regina kept her tone cool and unconcerned as she finished packing her briefcase. She felt a momentary pang of regret at the disappointment that washed across Emma's face before it was hidden behind green eyes that regarded her warily.

_Why in the world do I want so badly to be your happy ending? It's like the thing you enjoy the most is putting me down and making me feel inferior._

Regina stopped in mid-step and turned abruptly to face Emma who had just opened her mouth to retort. The blonde snapped her lips together so quickly her teeth clicked as her anger bled into a look of curiosity as Regina held out her hand silencing whatever Emma was going to say.

"Ms. Swan, I apologize for snapping at you. The last few days have been completely overwhelming, even more so because I inadvertently asked for it, so to speak."

_Asked for it? I swear if someone has hurt her they will be digging pieces of his body out of the bay._

"Want to talk about it? I'm a really good listener." Regina sighed and took a seat across from Emma at the table. Now would be the perfect opportunity to tell Emma the truth, but she couldn't exactly figure out where to start.

"I made a wish and Tinkerbell was drunk and granted it," Regina mumbled causing Emma to lean forward to hear her better. The blonde smelled like vanilla and sunshine and Regina barely bit back the groan of want that rose in her throat.

"I didn't think fairies granted the wishes of adults?"

_If they did you'd be in bed with me right this minute and I'd be inside of you, looking down into your eyes, and telling you how much I... _

Regina's eyes widened and her mouth fell open as Emma's thoughts trailed off. Emma was watching her with her brow crinkled in confusion but Regina couldn't move as the weight of Emma's words settled on her heart. Emma looked down at the table and Regina knew the blonde was trying to collect her thoughts- clearly she had surprised even herself.

"How much you what, Emma?" she breathed and Emma looked up in surprise.

"Wh-what?" Emma asked in surprise, her green eyes widening further as Regina leaned across the table. Regina closed her eyes as her lips brushed across Emma's with the lightest of touches. Emma gasped against her lips and Regina could feel the heat between the two growing rapidly into an inferno. Emma's lips felt exactly as they had in her dream and Regina desperately wanted more.

_She kissed me. She. Kissed. Me. Is this happening? Don't blow this, Emma, please, calm your tits and keep your shit together. Is this really happening?_

Emma brushed her fingers across Regina's cheek as she leaned further into Regina, her lips pressing against the brunette's as her tongue slid slowly across the mayor's plump bottom lip. Regina's breath caught in a ragged gasp in her throat and she felt as though the room had begun to spin. She began to deepen the kiss as her hands slid into Emma's blonde curls, pulling the woman further across the table and into her.

A throat cleared behind them and Emma opened her eyes to see the sudden panic take over Regina's features. She grabbed her briefcase and fled, murmuring a breathy goodbye to her secretary who stood in the doorway looking as though she wished she were anywhere but here.

Regina practically ran to her car. She felt as though she were hyperventilating. She had been caught kissing Emma Swan. KISSING EMMA SWAN! What was she thinking?! Things had progressed to the point that they were out of her control and she completely blamed the libidinous Ms. Swan and her heady, romance novel thoughts. How could she let herself lose control like that? When it came down to it, Regina had been the one to make the first move with no outwards provocation by the sheriff. Regina pulled into her driveway and hid her head in her hands.

Her phone buzzed and Regina gave it a cursory glance, her heart leaping in her throat and her attention zeroing in on the item as the phone flashed a new message alert from Emma Swan. With shaking hands, Regina opened the message and read it quickly before re-reading it again at a slower pace.

**Can we talk about what happened? **

**=who saves the saviour=**

**No.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**You looked so freaked out. Did you get home ok?**

**=who saves the saviour=**

**Yes.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**Thank you.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**Sarah won't say anything. And, hey, it's ok.**

**=who saves the saviour=**

**It isn't "ok", Ms. Swan. I don't know what I was thinking.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**Maybe that's your problem. You overthink everything.**

**=who saves the saviour=**

**I don't need your psychoanalysis. Emphasis on the psycho.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**Enjoy your evening, Madame Mayor...**

**=who saves the saviour=**

Regina read back through the texts and wanted to kick herself. Why must she always be so hateful to Emma? She knew herself well enough it was her defense mechanism, but if she let herself realize that then she'd have to wonder why she felt such a pressing need to protect herself from Emma Swan. Sweet, gorgeous, sexy, wonderful Emma Swan. Impulsively, she sent a text back to Emma as she walked to her house and unlocked the front door.

**I'd enjoy it more if you were here.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

"Mom! What's for dinner?" Henry quickly greeted her as he flew down the stairs. She kissed the top of his head and walked towards the kitchen as he rambled about his day to her. Regina loved this time of the day when he shared his day and his thoughts. She wouldn't trade these moments for anything and cherished them even more now that she shared them with Emma.

"How was your day, mom?" He asked, his eyes so like Emma's looking up innocently into her own. Regina sighed and held the counter as she looked down at him.

"Henry, how would you feel if I started seeing someone?" Henry stared at her, his face alternating between disgust at his mom's personal life and concern.

"I... I guess it depends on who it is. I mean, if he isn't nice to you or doesn't like me..." his voice trailed off.

"And what if..." she cleared her throat and took a sip of her wine as she quickly stirred dinner.

"What if...?" Henry prompted her as he began gathering plates and silverware to set the table.

"What if I'm interested in... in a woman?" Her voice was soft and she couldn't face her son as she let her words sink in.

"If she's nice to you and likes me I don't care if you see her," Henry said. "Why do you think I would care?" Regina eyes filled with pride and tears as she leaned down to hug her son to her. She would never be able to explain to him how precious and wonderful she thought he was in that moment.

"Thank you, Henry," she said, planting a kiss on his forehead and staring tearily into his eyes. He smiled at her with the same lopsided smile Emma had given her that morning, and Regina felt her heart turn over in her chest.

"It's Emma, isn't it," he stated matter-of-factually and Regina felt like an actor on one of those comedic cartoons whose jaw hits the floor they are so taken off guard.

"Wh-what? Why would you think that?" Her voice was faint and she felt lightheaded. Her hands fumbled for a stool and Henry helped her to her seat before moving to stir her sauce before it burned.

"You look at her like Emma looks at you. I honestly didn't think you'd realize you liked her for a long time. Archie says I shouldn't say anything but let you come to it yourself. He said that if you didn't recognize it in yourself then no one would be able to get you to see it and it could have a reverse psychology effect, or something like that."

"You're a pretty special kid, you know that?" Regina said when she found her voice again. Henry nodded and lifted the whisk from the sauce.

"I think it's ready." Regina nodded and served their plates, following Henry into the dining room. He rambled on about P.E. and Regina listened with half an ear, her mind still whirling from the talk she had with him in the kitchen.

"Does Emma know?" he asked suddenly and Regina looked at him in surprise.

"I haven't said anything outright, but I think she has an idea," Regina said, thinking back to the text she'd sent earlier. Her cheeks flushed and Henry rolled his eyes as he watched her.

"Emma is slow, mom. You're going to have to spell it out for her." Regina burst out laughing at her son's comments. "It's true! You know I'm right." She shook her head as they cleared the table. "I'm going up to my room. You should call her or something." He ran up the stairs and Regina felt her heart skip a beat as she heard the distinctive sound of one foot missing a step before he made it to the second landing. He beamed over the railing at her looking so much like Emma before running into his room and closing the door.

**Chapter 5: Sanity is all in the perception of the person**

Regina found her phone and debated not reading Emma's response to her earlier text. She still couldn't believe she had sent that text and she reaffirmed to herself why she thought texting was so dangerous and impersonal. Her mind changed somewhat as she read Emma's response.

**I promise you that you would definitely enjoy it.**

**=who saves the saviour=**

**Promises, promises.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**You're killing me here. I'm seriously about to die right now from want.**

**=who saves the saviour=**

**What exactly do you want, Ms. Swan?**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**Back to Ms. Swan, are we? And I think you know.**

**=who saves the saviour=**

**I need you to tell me.**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**Why don't I come whisper it in your ear tonight?**

**=who saves the saviour=**

**You don't think this is moving too quickly?**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**I feel like I've waited my entire life for this moment.**

**=who saves the saviour=**

Regina's breath caught at Emma's words. She traced her fingers over the words on her screen as she felt another wall around her heart crumble at Emma Swan's feet. She had the thought that she should slow down and think things through, that until a few days ago Emma Swan wasn't even on her radar but she knew that wasn't true. Regina had wanted the sheriff for a long time, if she were honest with herself. She'd wanted her so long and so much that her son had picked up on it and confided it to his therapist.

**How good are you at climbing trees and trellises?**

**-Regards, R. Mills**

**See you tonight at 11.**

**=who saves the saviour=**

Regina was filled with nervous energy for the rest of the evening. Henry stayed in his room reading until his bedtime at nine thirty. He'd asked Regina if she had gotten in touch Emma and when she responded that she had he gave her a knowing smile and promised to fall asleep as quickly as he could. Before she left his room he hugged her and told her that he would be very happy if she and Emma were together but she shouldn't feel pressured to do that because he wanted it to happen. Regina felt so much love for him that she nearly squeezed him in half with a bone crushing hug.

"Mom, my esophagus," he rasped and she released him with a laugh.

"How did you get so wise?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't Emma," he said jokingly and they both shared a smile. Regina chuckled as she tucked him in, luxuriating in the warmth of his smile as he wished her a goodnight. As she closed his door she heard him humming to himself and she rolled her eyes. Like mother, like son. Emma seemed to always be humming some swatch of a song that Regina was quickly realizing she didn't know any of the words to.

Regina was sitting on her bed rubbing lotion onto her legs when she heard a thud on her balcony. She looked up to see Emma nervously crawling through her open window, her green eyes shining as the moonlight hit them. Regina had always thought Emma looked like a goddess in the sunlight, but she quickly changed her mind as she watched Emma in the moonlight.

"I wish I knew what that look on your face meant," Emma said softly, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

"You are gorgeous," Regina whispered, her voice husky with emotion. "The moonlight on your hair and glinting in your eyes makes you look as ethereal as an angel."

As the silence stretched between them Regina had a sudden realization. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Emma looked at her with an expression of mixed surprise and wonder.

"I know what you want," Regina said timidly and Emma stepped forward.

"Am I that hard to read, Regina?" she asked, laughing softly as she stepped out of her boots and left them by the window.

"I'm not always the most observant person," Regina said with a wry chuckle. "Our son informed me tonight that he has known for quite some time that I like you."

"You do? He knows?" Emma's eyes widened, and Regina shyly reached out and took her hands.

"I... spoke with him about how he'd feel if I began seeing someone. He instantly knew I meant you."

"He's a very smart kid and very intuitive." Emma smiled shyly as her thumb traced patterns on the backs of Regina's hands. "You want to begin seeing me?" Her smile widened even further and Regina felt as if she could lose herself in Emma's expressions.

"Emma, I need to be honest with you." Regina watched as Emma seemed to pull into herself. She took a deep breath and sent a wish out into the universe that everything remained as intensely beautiful as the moment they were sharing right now.

"Please don't break my heart before we've even started," Emma said, looking down at their clasped hands. Regina brought their twined hands to her lips and kissed Emma's hand tenderly. The words struck a chord in Regina and she felt her heart crying out the same words Emma had just uttered.

"Remember I told you I'd made a wish?" At Emma's nod, Regina continued. "I wished that I knew what you were thinking because I was convinced you were up to something. In hindsight, I realize that I was grasping at straws to explain why I was so obsessed with you."

"And your wish came true?" Regina nodded and watched as Emma understood what she was saying.

"You were able to read my mind?"

"Well, I could hear your thoughts. I never actually tried to read your mind... I tried to get Tink to take it back, but she said the only way to break the spell was to know the answer to my question."

"Which was?"

"What it is that you want."

"And now you know that I want you- above anything else, I crave you." Emma's words were spoken so softly Regina could barely hear them. She realized in that moment that she was terrified Emma would change her mind about her and she began babbling, trying desperately to avoid the rejection she feared was coming.

"I didn't truly mean the wish. I didn't know Tinkerbell had granted it until the next day when I heard your thoughts and they threw me for quite a loop. I've never had someone think of me the way you do- did- and I didn't know how to react. Hearing your thoughts was as if you had held up a mirror to my own and I didn't know how to handle any of it." Regina's voice trailed off as Emma held her finger over her lips, mischief dancing in her eyes.

"Madame Mayor, I am positive that I am not the first person who aches to bend you over and fuck you senseless." Regina's eyes widened and she gasped at the words. "And I am positive I am not the first person to fall head over heels for you." Regina swore that it felt like Emma's words were directly linked to how hard her heart was pounding.

"You are the only one I want," Regina whispered, her eyes closing against the intensity of her emotions.

"Open your eyes, let me see you," Emma commanded gently, and Regina slowly blinked her eyes open. Was it possible to actually get lost in someone's eyes? As she fell into the shimmering mix of greens and blues in Emma's eyes she thought that perhaps she could spend a lifetime sorting out the flecks of color and emotion that stared soulfully back into her own.

Regina kept her eyes open as Emma leaned forward and connected their lips, her kiss as gentle as the sheriff's heart. Regina felt as though her feelings were too much, that she would drown in the waves of desire and emotion that poured through her with warmth and acceptance. As Emma settled onto the bed with Regina she pulled the mayor into her lap and Regina was surprised at the strength in the blonde's arms. Emma settled Regina across her legs, the brunette's shins resting to either side of the blonde's jean clad legs. Emma moaned softly as her hands crept towards Regina's heat and Regina looked down their bodies to watch as Emma's hand stroked her inner thigh.

With shaking hands, Regina tugged off Emma's white t-shirt, marveling at the smooth, sun kissed skin. Emma wasn't pale, but rather a warm sun kissed peaches and cream, her skin radiating health. Regina splayed her hands against Emma's chest, admiring the difference of their skin tones as her fingers slowly slid down to knead the perky mounds of Emma's breasts.

"Regina," Emma sighed against her shoulder as her head fell forward, her body convulsing against Regina's touches. Regina realized she was rolling her hips into Emma, causing the other woman's hand to slide further up her thigh and stroke the wet gusset of her red tanga.

Regina slowly slid her hand over Emma's stomach causing the taut muscles there to jump at her touch before sliding down to take Emma's hand that was stroking teasingly against her lace covered sex. Emma's forehead moved on Regina's shoulder as the blonde shifted to watch Regina take Emma's fingers and move them beneath the fabric to slide against the wet heat of her sex. Both women moaned as Emma's fingertips danced lightly over Regina's clitoris. Regina's hand slid down to hold Emma's forearm and she bit her lip as the blonde's muscles tightened and rolled with the movements of her fingers.

"Touch me," Regina begged, her breath hot on Emma's ear before she licked and sucked the soft lobe between her teeth and nipped lightly. "Emma, yes," she encouraged with a throaty groan, rolling her hips forward to meet Emma's penetrating fingers. The blonde breathed out harshly as her other arm wrapped around Regina, holding her tightly as she pushed inside, her fingers pumping hard and slow. Regina rocked against Emma, taking the other woman's fingers deep inside of her with every roll of her hips. She threw her head back and Emma quickly claimed her throat with her lips and teeth as her fingers curled to rub over the sweet spot inside Regina.

Her legs trembling, back arched, head thrown back, one hand tightening on Emma's arm, the other resting behind her on Emma's thigh as she rolled her hips hard into Emma's hand, Regina cried out as her orgasm tore through her body. Emma's sucked her nipple wetly through her black silk nightgown, her teeth scraping and nipping the hard bud as Emma showed no sign of stopping, but instead pushed inside Regina harder and faster. Regina leaned forward, throwing her arms around the blonde and panting into her ear as her nails raked the blonde's back.

"God, yes, Regina," the blonde growled, flexing her back into Regina's nails as her thumb found Regina's clitoris and began rubbing. Her questing fingers thrust wildly inside as Emma fucked her with abandon, the action sending Regina over the edge once more.

"Fuck, oh fuck, yes! Emma!" Regina screamed her pleasure before sinking her teeth into the blonde's shoulder to quiet her cries of release as she lost control of her body, bucking and spasming against Emma with the intensity of her orgasm.

Regina's body was so sensitive, and it seemed as if Emma could read her mind as her movements slowed to a stop, her fingers resting inside Regina's tightly clenching walls. Regina turned her head into Emma's neck, her panting breaths moving the curls at Emma's ear.

"That was..." Emma began, her voice filled with awe and hunger.

"Amazing." Regina finished, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face and lit her eyes. Emma turned to look at the brunette, her own smile lighting the room and setting off fireworks inside Regina's heart.

Emma ran her free hand lightly down Regina's sweat slicked back, her lips spreading kisses across the brunette's shoulders and collarbones. Regina carefully unfastened Emma's bra and threw it to the side, her eyes widening as she licked her lips. She pushed Emma backwards onto the bed and jumped as Emma's fingers slid out from inside her, splashing her thighs with the evidence of how hard she had cum. Regina watched Emma bring her fingers to her lips and suck them inside her mouth, her eyes closing as she savored Regina's taste. Regina blushed hotly at the action and slid from Emma's lap, her blush deepening at the wet stain across Emma's jeans. Emma leaned up on her elbows and smirked down at her lap.

"Nothing says thank you like a wet spot like that."

"Ms. Swan!" Regina gasped in shock, her blush reaching the tips of her ears. Emma's smile widened at Regina's high pitched gasp. She raised an eyebrow as one hand slid forward and began to unbutton her own jeans.

"That's not the name you screamed out when you came," she said teasingly as she released the last button. Regina was mesmerized by the sight, the blush on her face quickly turning into a flush of desire as Emma slid the jeans over her hips and down her long, toned legs. As she kicked them off her feet, Regina grabbed the blonde's pink thong and slid it off.

Emma was completely bare, her swollen lips smooth and glistening with her desire. Regina licked her lips in anticipation and knelt on the floor, pulling Emma's hips to the edge of the bed. Emma tangled her fingers in Regina's hair as Regina slid her tongue over the smooth expanse of her mons, the breathy gasp barely audible pleas for Regina to give her release.

Regina threw one of Emma's legs over her shoulder and pushed the other back until Emma's knee hit her own chest as she opened Emma to her hot gaze. Her eyes raked over the pink flesh before settling on the tight hole that dripped desire in a wet smear over her thighs and down to the rise of her bum. Regina ran her tongue from Emma's bottom to the top of Emma's slit, her tongue dipping and teasing both holes in passing. Emma jumped at the contact, her thighs tightening and Regina quickly sucked Emma's clitoris between her lips and lavished it with slow, hard licks.

She brought her hand between then and grazed the sensitive ridge of Emma's forbidden entrance before sliding two fingers just inside Emma's sex, curling both in a come hither, scissoring motion. As Emma began writhing on the bed and turning her head to moan loudly into her arm, Regina let her pinky slide up to the first knuckle in Emma's darker entrance. Emma jerked at the sudden explosion of pleasure but slowly relaxed into Regina's ministrations.

Emma began tightening against her fingers, her hand tangled in Regina's hair forcing Regina's tongue hard against her. Regina could feel the fluttering first around her pinky as it barely moved inside the tight entrance. The fluttering quickly spread to Emma's pussy which pulsed and clenched hard against Regina's curling fingers. Regina quickly slid her pinky from Emma before pushing her fingers deep, hard, and fast into the orgasmic woman. She stood and leaned forward as Emma leaned up, their lips clashing together in heated chorus of moans and cries of passion as Emma tilted forward full speed into another orgasm before the first had finished.

"I c-can't!" Emma gasped, sliding away from Regina and curling her body into a fetal position as spasms of pleasure wracked her body. Regina curled up behind her but Emma was so sensitive she quickly batted away Regina's soothing hands. Regina chuckled causing Emma to huff as she fought to get her breathing and heart rate under control.

"That was..." Regina searched for the right word.

"Epic." Emma finished before hiding her face against the bed and giggling. Regina curled around the blonde and leaned forward to kiss her neck and cheek, her smile feeling as though it would split her face. "I've never... before... done that." Regina felt her stomach clench with fear, afraid she'd overstepped her boundaries with Emma.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked, trying to ask all her questions with those simple three words and relaxed as Emma nodded emphatically.

"Sleepy now," she answered with a yawn, pulling Regina's arm tighter around her and wiggling so her body touched Regina's everywhere. Regina rose causing Emma to protest, and she quickly lifted the silk over her head and grabbed a folded blanket at the foot of her bed. She spread it over them before quickly claiming her place as Emma snuggled closer to her, purring contentedly as Regina's breasts pushed into her back.

"I'm glad you got your wish," Emma said shyly as she turned and looked sleepily into Regina's questioning eyes. "When your wish was granted, so was mine." As Emma turned over and went to sleep, her head resting back against Regina's chest and arm, Regina allowed herself to recognize her true feelings, happiness and- dare she admit it?- love. As she fell asleep she decided she would send Tinkerbell a gift basket tomorrow along with an edible bouquet as she knew the green fairy couldn't resist fruit or chocolate. It was the least she could do for granting her wish and allowing her to recognize that her happy ending was directly in front of her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **_Written in time for the Honey Moon rising Friday, June 13. First shot at any sort of horror writing. Please leave reviews and tell me what I could do differently or what I did correctly to convey suspense and horror. Please remember there is a difference between being honest and being cruel. Thank you in advance! I haven't proofed the story yet, but I will. I apologize for any mistakes._

**Chapter 1: In the still of the night**

Emma looked towards the barred window of the sheriff's station, her brow furrowed in concentration. The hair on the back of her neck lifted as she heard it again- it sounded like something scratching slowly and stealthily at the door. Her mouth went dry and her heart began to pound. The scratching abruptly stopped but Emma didn't move a muscle and her eyes shifted to the door. Her heightened senses were on alert and every instinct in her body was screaming to run and stay perfectly still at the same time.

A shadow move hesitantly under the door just before she heard a deep, guttural breath as though whatever was on the side was breathing through a broken, twisted nose. Emma tried to control her breathing when she realized she was beginning to pant harshly. Her fingers felt clumsy and three sizes too big as she reached for the gun at her belt and slowly pulled it free. A low growl issued under the door just before someone thudded against the frame causing the door to shake under the weight of the assault. Emma swallowed back a hiss of surprise, as she carefully checked the clip and slid it back into place. She released the safety and the loud click echoed in the sudden silence.

Long moments passed as Emma stood still in the middle of the station. She silently made her wall over to the wall switch and turned off the lights in the room she was standing and the hallway leading to the door. She didn't want to be perfectly visible to whatever waited for her on the other side as the artificial light blinded her own sight.

Emma's senses were trained so hard at the door that it barely recognized in her hyper sensitive mind that a strange tapping was coming from the window. A chill crawled up her spine and across her skull as the sound registered. She turned slowly, raising the gun as she did so. She didn't have time to notice her shaking hand as the clouds drifted in front of the moon casting the station in near perfect darkness before skittering away.

The tapping was still coming from the window and now Emma could hear the strange snuffling sound emanating through the walls. Emma didn't dare even blink. She knew the second she turned her back or shifted her eyes whatever was on the other side of the window was coming through. She swallowed hard and steadied her gun hand with the other. Emma began to step closer to the window while every instinct and common sense screamed at her to run and hide or at least move no closer.

She was four feet from the window when the tapping abruptly stopped. Emma released a breath she had been holding and exhaled shakily. She stood and listened but heard nothing. Everything outside was still, no wind stirred in the night outside, no noise broke the silence except for the harshness of her own heavy breathing. Thoughts began to filter in through Emma's fight or flight response and she wondered if she had perhaps mistook a loose siding or gutter for something more sinister.

Deciding to be braver than she felt, Emma stepped to the window and looked out. A full moon shown high above casting the grounds below in a silvery light. The streets were empty and silent, the residents of Storybrook asleep and dreaming in their beds. As Emma turned to go back towards the room her eyes fell below the windowsill where a black shadow couched. A scream caught in her throat as yellow eyes glared up into her green as the shadow prepared to spring. The creature launched itself towards the window, it's claws and arm breaking through the window and raking down Emma's shoulder and back as she turned instinctively to protect herself. The bars on the window stopped the creatures forward momentum and in the moment of its confusion Emma raised her gun and shot it. With a growling howl that raised the hairs on her neck and pierced the night, the creature withdrew and ran on four legs down the street towards the forest.

Lights began to turn on up and down the street. Emma stood rooted in place, eyes wide, breath coming in a wheezing gasp. She dropped the gun in her shock as she looked down and saw her shirt sticking to her shoulder in bloody strips. The phone began to ring almost at the same time Emma's cell phone began vibrating in her pocket. She pulled out her cellphone with her good hand and opened the line to the caller. In her shock, she didn't think to say anything into the phone.

"Sheriff, can you please explain why you discharged your weapon at 3:06 in the morning?"

"Regina?" Emma said, her voice sounded as shocked and breathless as she felt.

"Ms. Swan?" Regina asked, her voice less angry and more concerned. "I asked you for an explanation."

"There... there was an animal? It flew into the window but..."

"You discharged your weapon within the sheriff's station at a bat? I know your competence far outweighs any value you br-"

"It wasn't a fucking bat, Regina!" Emma tried to control her hysterical tone as she leaned over her knees and tried to take deep breaths. However, as the front door banged open and slammed against the wall, she screamed and threw her phone as she flung herself towards her desk and quickly crawled under it.

"Emma! Oh my God, are you okay?" It took a moment for Charming's voice to register. Mortified at her reaction, Emma pretended to feel around the floor.

"I dropped my phone," she said sheepishly. She avoided Charming's eyes as he handed the object to her. "Thanks."

"Ms. Swan, answer me this instant!"

"Regina, everything is okay. It was just a wild animal. I was just spooked by how large it was and how it jumped at the window." Her eyes swung to the window where David was standing, running his hands through something on the sill. His brow was furrowed in concentration.

"I expect a full report tomorrow, Ms. Swan. You will deliver it in person so we can continue this discussion in person. I will not have you playing gunslinger in the middle of the night in MY town! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Madame Mayor," Emma readily agreed. She hung up and walked over to David who held up one bloody finger, his eyes widening as they landed on Emma's shoulder.

"Emma, you're hurt!"

"The award for statement of the obvious goes to Prince Charming, ladies and gentlemen," Emma muttered. "I'll be fine. Just need to clean and bandage it. What did you find?" she said, sweeping her hand at the sill.

"Some fur, some blood... don't know if it's yours or the creatures. What was it?"

"A... I don't know, actually. A wolf maybe? But larger. Seriously, much larger."

"Mmmm," Charming muttered dismissively. "Grab the first aid kit and let's get you patched up. Tomorrow I'll get the dwarves together and we will go hunting."

"I'll take Hook and..." Charming shook his head as he took the kit from Emma and motioned her towards the chair.

"No, you go see Whale in the morning and then get some sleep. You've been working nights all week."

"I'm not going to the doctor, and I'm the sheriff. I'm going to do my job."

"Emma," Charming held her chin firmly between his hands. "I'm your dad but I'm also your deputy. Let me handle this, okay? I need to do this for you." Emma peered into her dad's eyes and felt something give way in her chest. Someone wanted to look out for her, protect her. She swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Alright, dad. Just let me know the second you guys find anything so I can come right away. I have a report to fill out and turn in to Regina." She saw the emotion in his eyes at the parental moniker but he didn't comment as a smile wound its way across his lips.

"I will. Promise. Now go see your mother before she worries herself into premature labor."

**Chapter 2: What dreams may come...?**

It had been a little over three weeks since Emma was attacked. She sighed as she relaxed back into her chair. She had recovered quickly from the wound on her shoulder and had actually felt better than ever. She had gone to see Whale for tetanus shot at Regina's insistence- something about Emma not suing the town for not providing proper follow up and medical care. Emma had flatly refused the round of rabies shots.

No one had been able to track the animal and it hadn't returned. The townspeople were finally beginning to take evening strolls again and talk of the vicious beast had died down as most felt it had met its match in the sheriff and disappeared over the town limits. As they days bled into weeks, Emma herself didn't feel any fear and chalked it up to a fluke.

It was Emma's week for night shift and she sighed as she stood and pulled on her belt, stashing her gun and nightstick. She wasn't worried about running into the creature, but she realized the necessity of being prepared- just in case. With a whistle and a jaunty step, Emma pulled the door to the station house closed behind her and took off down Main Street.

The evening was clear and calm with a slight breeze coming off the harbor that smelled of salt and seaweed. Emma closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She loved summer nights when the weather was calm and thoroughly enjoyed her walks through the town in the peaceful quiet. The citizens of Storybrook, for the most part, were content to stay indoors at night, especially now that Regina had dictated that the Rabbit Hole would close at midnight on weekdays.

Emma turned down a side street and walked the edge of town near the water. She could hear the waves lapping at the docks and slapping lightly at the sides of the boats moored there. A list mist rolled over the water and Emma leaned her head back to enjoy the cooling breeze as it rolled over her and crept towards town. She pursed her lips to whistle and she lifted her foot to step forward but a stealthy step on the boardwalk just behind her froze her.

It was just a boat bumping into the dock, Emma told herself, swallowing deeply and remaining motionless. She was standing in the dark spot between two street lights and wanted to curse herself for choosing to stop in this spot for a moment. She listened intently to the night, her eyes widening and pupils dilating as adrenaline began coursing through her body.

Long moments passed and Emma began to feel silly. Of course it was just a boat bumping into the docks. Someone hadn't tied it securely and it was probably moored loosely. Of course, that meant, as sheriff, it was her duty to go to the docks and re-tie the mooring lines. Emma shook herself and turned abruptly, her shoulders back, hands tight against her sides as she walked stiffly towards the dock. The mist was heavier the closer to the boardwalk and Emma recanted her former mental assertion that mist looked and felt wonderful tonight.

Just before her foot was to land on the wooden planks of the boardwalk leading to the docks Emma heard the thump again. However, it didn't come from in front of her where the boats were buoyed, but rather behind her where the boardwalk ended just at the edge of the trees. Her heart began to race and Emma's withdrew her nightstick quickly as the memories of the creature crouched under the window, its eyes watching her with intelligent malevolence resurfacing.

Something dragged lightly, a little closer, as though something was dragging through the grass and old leaves. Emma waged a fierce internal debate about whether she should turn and face whatever was behind her, of should she continue to the docks to correct a loose mooring line, or should she turn and run as fast as she could. Her mind quickly calculated and the closest housing units were on Mifflin Street... 108 Mifflin to be exact. There was no way she was going to run like a scared bitch to Regina's door from the boogeyman behind her.

Emma turned slowly, slowly releasing a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding as the night revealed itself calm and silent behind her. There was nothing creeping towards her on the boardwalk and Emma gave a little laugh as she shook her hand. She supposed the mist must have brought back memories of that night, as well as the horror movies she had a tendency to watch.

The smile froze on her face as yellow eyes blinked slowly, the creature lying motionless less than twenty yards from Emma. Its lips peeled back revealing black gums and jagged teeth, its tongue lolling inside its mouth as it panted harshly. She could make out blood flecks over the pink appendage and realized a frothy red foam coated the creatures muzzle. Fuck. Maybe she should have taken that rabies treatment after all.

As Emma's hand reached for her gun a low snarl sounded in the night and the creature shifted as though bunching to spring. Emma's heart was racing and she knew without a doubt that she would never be able to outrun or even perhaps out-think the monster that crouched in front of her. She heard a whining whistle and realized with a start that it was her own keening cry of fear she heard. Emma took a step backwards, her mind already beginning to accept the inevitable, but what she saw next had her praying to every God she had ever heard existed.

It began to rise and stand on two feet.

It's form was hunched forward, its front claws still low to the ground and ready to land and leap into action. It growled and snapped in her direction, its eyes glowing orange as reflect the amber glow from the streetlight as it turned slightly. Emma was nearly panting in fear and she felt as though her bladder was going to release any moment. As it took a step towards her, Emma's rational mind snapped and the primal need to survive kicked into action.

With one move she pulled her gun and fired, but the creature had already leaped forward, its teeth piercing just above her collar bone and tearing through muscle and tendon. It landed fully on her, its weight forcing the air from her lungs and keeping them from expanding for new breath. Emma couldn't move as it brought its face close to hers, its breath smelling of death and rotten infection. With a howl, it closed the distance and tore its teeth into her neck, the force of its bite so strong she felt the vertebrae in the back of her neck snap and shatter.

Emma awoke with a scream, the sound ripping through the silence of her parent's apartment. Snow was by her side in seconds but Emma fought the arms that tried to comfort her, her flailing driving Snow from the bed in an effort to protect her unborn child as Emma thrashed and fought. Charming ran into the room following closely by Henry whose eyes immediately filled with terrified tears to see his mother's face twisted into a grotesque rictus as her bloodcurdling screams filled the apartment.

"Emma! Emma! Wake up!" Charming managed to dodge Emma's fists after taking several decent punches to the face and grabbed the blonde's arms, pinning them to her sides as he drew her against him. "Emma, wake up! Emma!" His voice reached into the depths of her dream and pulled her out and Emma froze in his arms before bursting into chest heaving sobs.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she cried, gulping in breaths as the sobs shook her slender frame.

"You're safe, Emma," Charming said soothingly, running his hand over her hair and patting her back. "I've got you, sweetheart, and I'm not going anywhere. You're safe, Emma." He turned and his eyes locked with Snow's. She pressed her fist against her lips and nodded at the silent communication, turning to lead Henry from the room.

**Chapter 3: "Reality exists in the human mind and nowhere else."**

Emma rolled the coffee cup between her palms, her eyes unfocused as she stared out the window of the diner. The morning was dawning sunny and beautiful, but she shivered against the thoughts that were plaguing her. Her nights for the last four nights were spent in near constant nightmares and Emma didn't understand how she was able to function. Charming and Snow looked almost ready to drop from exhaustion, and after last night's nightmare, Emma had stayed awake to grant her parents time to sleep.

_Emma watched Henry swing, his legs kicking high towards the sky as he threw his head back and laughed in sheer delight. Charming was standing smiling beside the playground as he shouted encouragements to Henry to swing higher._

_Charming's head turned to the side, the smile sliding from his face as he turned to face the woods. A shadow moved between the trees and as the sun dipped behind a cloud, yellow eyes glowed briefly before disappearing beneath the tall grass that bordered the woods. Charming took a step towards the woods, his hands falling to the sword hilt at his side._

_Henry continued to swing higher, his laugh bouncing and echoing from the poles of the swing set and echoing through the trees of the woods._

_The tall grass moved and shifted with the wind, but Emma could feel the malevolence shifted in the grass as the ripple rolled closer to the playground. Charming's eyes scanned the area but he continued to shout encouragement to Henry to fly higher. A flash of black, a hint of burning yellow, a breath on the wind as the grass shifted and rippled._

_Henry kicked his feet to the sky, his back almost parallel to the ground as the creature leaped from the grass and with a snarl ripped out Charming's throat. Henry flew the blood spray on his back swing, his eyes never leaving the clouds above him. The creature turned and crouched, it's eyes glistening with feral rage. Henry saw the monster as he began to fly back towards the ground, his eyes widening and his smile melting into a scream of fear as it jumped and pulled him from the swing in a tangle of limbs._

_A clawed hand tore into Henry's stomach and pulled out his intestines which the creature greedily lapped and chewed. Emma screamed but the sound caught in her throat as the creature turned to look at her, no longer a creature but Emma herself. She watched her own lips curve into a smile as blood and bits of gore flecked her lips and chin. As Henry gurgled his last breath, Emma watched as she reached down and ripped out his heart, her teeth sinking into the soft, still beating..._

A hand reached into Emma's line of sight and she slammed her hand on a wrist and turned to glare into Ruby's surprised eyes. The waitress's hand was on Emma's abandoned plate, and Emma curled her lip as she glared at Ruby.

"Don't touch my food," Emma snarled, her eyes narrowing as Ruby's eyes widened. Emma could feel her heart beginning to pound in her chest coursing adrenaline through her body in bursts of energy. She began to rise as her hand tightened on Ruby's wrist in a crushing grip.

"I thought you were finished, Emma, I'm sorry," Ruby said, her body stilling as Emma stood and moved closer to Ruby's still form. Emma's grip didn't loosen but her eyes opened wider as she stepped closer, her body almost pressed into Ruby's.

Ruby's brow furrowed questioningly and she stepped back. Emma quickly stepped forward and into Ruby's space once more. "Don't ever touch my food again," Emma said, her voice a low growl as her heart thudded in her chest. "Don't ever..."

She stiffened as the door opened and familiar smell hit her senses. She turned as Regina looked at her in surprise, her eyes falling to where Emma's hand was clasped with bruising force around Ruby's wrist.

"Ms. Swan, is there a reason you are manhandling Ms. Lucas?" she asked casually, her stance letting Emma know she was preparing for a fight. Emma looked down when Ruby tugged her hand in Emma's grip, letting the other girl's hand go as a look of shock flashed across her face. She mumbled an apology and settled back in the booth, her mind trying to comprehend what had just happened. She barely noticed Regina sliding in across from her. "I asked you a question, sheriff."

"I don't... I don't know," Emma said, shaking her head to clear it from the strange fog that felt like it was descending over her. "I just got so..." her voice trailed off and she looked up, her green eyes almost pleading for Regina to give her the answer to her own question.

"If you cannot stop manhandling the citizens, sheriff Swan, I will relieve you of your duty. There have been several complaints about your aggression, and while I don't care how you deal with law breakers, I am pretty certain Ms. Lucas did nothing to warrant your actions."

Emma watched the red of Regina's lips as she spoke, the words falling on her deaf ears as her senses zeroed in on the woman sitting across from her. How had she not noticed before how completely perfect Regina was? And she smelled heavenly, her scent a mixture of apples, vanilla, and a female scent that was one hundred percent Regina. Emma closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, not registering the low moaning growl that rolled quietly in her throat almost like a purr. Regina stopped speaking abruptly, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Ms. Swan, did you just... purr?" Emma's eyes opened and immediately fell on the perfect details of Regina's features. Regina leaned back against the booth under the intensity of Emma's scrutiny.

"Why do you smell so good to me?" Emma asked, her voice husky with strain as she fought against the urge to pull Regina to her and run her tongue over the other woman's lips and neck.

"What?" Regina asked. "Ms. Swan, have you taken leave of your senses?" Emma abruptly leaned forward and wound her hand in Regina's hair, pulling the dark tresses towards her and inhaling deeply. Regina gasped her eyes finding Emma's in the dim light of the diner, their faces inches from one another.

"You smell so fucking good to me," Emma said, her voice deeper and richer, coating in desire and longing.

"Ms. Swan, release me at once," Regina demanded, her voice breathless with anger and another emotion couldn't read with her mind. However, she smelled the desire that laced through Regina's body and it only fanned the flames of her own. Her eyes locked on Regina's lips and she leaned forward closing the distance between them. "Emma," Regina breathed. "Please release me."

The words were so uncharacteristic coming from Regina that it registered through the fog in Emma's brain. She quickly released the mayor and stood abruptly, banging her knee on the table in her haste. She tried to take calming breaths as she back away, wringing her hands nervously as she glanced around the diner. Everyone seemed to be watching her in varying stages of shock and confusion, especially Regina who was trying hard to get her emotions under control.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I'll go. I don't know... what I'm doing..." Emma turned and fled, wondering at what point she had lost her sanity.

**Chapter 4: Into the woods**

Emma declined the phone call from Ruby and watched as her screen registered eleven missed calls from the brunette, three missed calls from Regina, and a variety of missed calls and texts from David and Snow. She didn't know what to say to any of them so she continued to sit in her car and as Henry played with his friends. She was relieved to see that he wasn't swinging.

A tone sounded letting her know Ruby had left her voice mail, but Emma didn't feel like listening to it. She didn't know how to explain what was happening with her so she chose to not explain anything at all. It wasn't running, necessarily, just... not be so forthcoming with conversation. Everyone was entitled to some alone time, right?

Emma put the cruiser into gear and pulled out. She returned Henry's enthusiastic wave with one of her own before heading down the road towards the town line. The dwarves patrolled the woods at night in shifts, but Emma still found that she rested easier if she had checked out the edges of the woods herself. Everyone talked of the wolf they were hunting, but Emma wasn't certain that the creature she had seen even really existed in this world at all.

She reached the town line and parked, pulling the parking brake as she opened the door and climbed out into the afternoon sun. Her eyes scanned the tree line, but nothing moved or shifted beneath her scrutiny. A slight breeze blew through the treetops scattering shadows across the floor of the woods and Emma relaxed as she soaked in the quiet stillness of the day. It was easy to let her worries go standing in the seat of nature and feeling at one and peace with the woods around her.

A rabbit scampered off deeper into the woods and Emma followed him just inside the trees, her eyes scanning the ground for any tracks of foliage that appeared broken or out of place. She didn't quite understand what she was looking for but Snow had prepared a series of colorful crayon drawings depicting the things Emma should be on the lookout for. Emma chuckled to herself at the memory of the look on Regina's face as Snow presented her drawings to the "hunting committee" the mayor had approved.

Emma's eyes narrowed as she approached a sapling, the truck bent and broken as though something big and heavy had brushed past it. Snow had assured Emma that the dwarves, Charming, and Hook had enough experience to not leave anything like this in their daily passes through the woods. Emma knelt and examined the branches, her eyes widening at the sight of several long, blonde hairs caught in the broken wood and shifting in the light breeze. With fumbling fingers she reached for her phone and quickly dialed Leroy.

"What, sheriff?" Emma no longer was disconcerted by the dwarf's greeting.

"Grumpy, I'm here at the town line and I found some broken underbrush. I was wond-"

"Yeah, me and the boys saw that. Honestly, sheriff, you make our job a lot harder when you go out on your own and mess stuff up. How can we track if we are tracking over you?" Emma swallowed and took several deep breaths before answering.

"This is the first time I've walked into the woods here."

"I've got a trail that says otherwise, Madame Sheriff. Blonde hair everywhere like you were crawling though the woods on your hands and knees. Your pappy promised to talk to you about it. Hope you aren't mad, but we can't do our job if we spend hours tracking your mess through the woods."

"Sorry. I'll be more careful," Emma said, ending her phone call. She wanted to follow "her" trail through the woods, but she couldn't force herself to go one step deeper into the waiting trees. She took a step backwards and the loud cracking of a stick echoed through the woods. It was then that Emma noticed that all sound in the woods had ceased. No birds rustled in their nests or called to one another, no squirrels scampered from branch to branch, no chipmunks, deer, or rabbits scuttled across the ground. She was alone in the woods... so why did she feel as though she were being watched?

Emma turned and began to walk quickly back towards the cruiser. She sensed rather than felt the eyes that following her movements, the steps that silently crossed towards her. Emma tried hard to control her breathing. Her hands were shaking so badly and as she tried to put her phone back into her pocket she dropped it where it immediately disappeared in the undergrowth.

She frantically pushed around dead leaves and cursed that cellphones weren't glow in the dark or created with a drop me sensor that lit up if the damn thing felt that it fell for more than a foot. As her hand closed around her phone, she heard a twig snap underfoot just behind her in the woods. Emma jumped to her feet and ran towards the road and her car.

She could hear heavy breathing gaining on her, could sense and smell hot, fetid breath on her neck. The underbrush twisted and moved beneath her and Emma stumbled momentarily. Through sheer force of will she prevented herself from falling and adjusted her stride to run even faster. However, she felt something scrape the back of her leg, trying to draw her towards the ground. With a hidden energy Emma had never found within herself, she leaped the last couple of feet towards the cruiser which she could see just beyond the edge of the trees. Her breath was expelling in a keening cry as Emma reached the road. She whirled around, drawing her gun and preparing to fire.

Nothing was there.

The trees stood silently, the only witnesses to the terrified woman who sank to one knee in the middle of the road, her eyes never leaving the wood line. Her face dissolved into a look of terrified confusion, and Emma blinked back tears of frustration and fear. She was certain- more certain than she was of Henry being her son- that something had almost caught her there within the silent trees.

Emma stood slowly, sliding the safety of her gun back into place with a small click. She winced softly at the pain in her left calf and with wide eyes Emma placed her foot on the bumper of the cruiser and lifted her pants leg. Her breath hitched at the three bloody claw marks that scraped her flesh, slicing through the denim of her pants as though they offered no protection at all.

Emma screamed as a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned and tried to fire her gun, remembering too late that she had locked the safety.

"Sheriff! Wait! I'm on Leroy's crew!" A man was standing in front of her, his hands up and crossed in an attempt to shield himself from Emma.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Emma yelled, leaning over with her hands on her knees as she took deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.

"I'm making my rounds. Leroy has us walking the woods this time of day looking for..." his voice trailed off and Emma realized wryly that Grumpy had set watchers not only for the wolf but for her as well.

"For me. It's okay to say it. I spoke with him earlier."

"Did you see the wolf? The way you ran out of the woods I thought Maleficent herself was chasing you."

"I didn't know. I thought I saw something but I heard something but it must have been my own imagination."

"If you don't mind me saying, it doesn't look like you're getting a lot of sleep." Emma truly looked at the man for the first time. His black hair hung almost to his shoulders and his eyes were such a light grey she imagined it's what the Atlantic Ocean would look like if it ever flash froze.

"Thanks. I'll, um, let you get back to it. I'm sorry I made another... uh... false trail through there. I'll let you be the one to tell Grumpy," she finished causing the man to grimace. He nodded and lifted a hand as he walked into the woods, his camouflage clothing quickly disappearing.

**Chapter 5: I go walking in my sleep**

Emma woke with a smile, feeling well rested and better than she had in weeks. The sun was shining brightly through her window and it felt so warm on her face and skin that she wasn't prepared to open her eyes just yet and join the land of the living. She crinkled her nose as strands of hair tickled it and reached up to brush her hair out of her face. Emma jumped up as something crawled off her nose and onto her hand.

Shaking off her hand and flinging a spider into the underbrush, Emma suddenly stopped mid motion, her mouth dropping open almost comically. She wasn't in her bed. Matter of fact, she wasn't even in her room, or even in her house. Not even in a building at all. She had woken up bare ass naked beneath Regina's apple tree.

"What the fuck," Emma breathed, trying to make as little noise as possible. She looked up and realized she could actually hear Regina and Henry moving around in the house above her. "Fuck!" Emma groaned as she realized she was going to have to walk back to her house naked through town or else call someone and explain that she- call someone? With what? Her foot?

Making a snap decision, Emma crept closer to the house and crouched down below the kitchen window. It was the last day of school. She would wait until Regina left with Henry and then she would break in and borrow some clothes so she could get home. The idea didn't appeal to her but what else was she supposed to do?

A phone rang from inside and Regina answered the wall phone hanging just beside the window from where Emma was crouched.

"Mills residence," Regina said, her voice sending shivers up and down Emma's spine. Emma squeezed her eyes shut, willing her libido to give it a rest, just for right now. "Emma? No, was she coming over this morning? We specifically made plans for me to take Henry to school this morning." Emma rolled her eyes. There had been no plans made. Regina dictated and Emma had no choice but to agree. "Oh, I see. Henry? Have you spoken to your mother this morning?"

"I talked to her last night," Henry said, his voice carrying from deeper in the house. Emma sighed. Leave it to Snow to get everyone out and looking for her at seven in the morning.

"No, he hasn't. You know, Emma is a grown woman, Mary Margaret. Perhaps she went home with that filthy pirate." Emma was so close she could hear Regina chuckle under her breath, knowing she had set Snow off. "If I hear from her and happen to remember I will let her know that you wish to speak to her. Good day." Regina banged the phone back into the cradle and walked away.

Emma sighed as she rested her head against her knees. She desperately wanted to slap at the bugs crawling across her skin and she was appalled as she realized how very dirty she was. Regina's cell phone rang and Emma listened as she answered it, glad to hear the front door opening and closing as Regina shuffled Henry towards her car.

"Mayor Mills speaking... You saw what?" Regina's voice was so incredulous that Emma wanted to peer around the corner to see the look on her face. "Are you sure it was the sheriff? Last night?" Emma groaned and thudded her head back against the house. She was pretty certain, at this point, that she did NOT want to see the look on the mayor's face. The only thing she could figure is that someone had seen her on her late night, naked as the day she was born, run through the town.

Emma barely gave time for Regina to back her Mercedes down the driveway and pull onto the road before she dug out the spare key hidden inside a wax apple strategically placed in Regina's tree. Henry had shown her the ingenious hiding place one day when he was positive he would need rescuing. She turned the lock and crept inside, wincing as she realized she was tracking in dirt and leaves.

She nearly fell down the stairs in her haste to get up them. She briefly debated Regina's clothes or Henry's and decided to borrow some of the kid's basketball shorts and a loose t-shirt. She thanked God that his feet were larger although his tennis shoes pinched her toes uncomfortably. She gave a start as she saw herself in Henry's mirror and tried to pick out the largest sticks and leaves in her hair.

A car sounded from the driveway and Emma looked out in horror as Regina's car pulled back in. She panicked and flew down the stairs and out the side door, waiting until she heard the front close before running as quickly as she could across the street and towards the apartment she shared with Snow and Charming.

Emma threw the door open and slammed in shut behind her, breathing deeply after her dead sprint from Regina's house. Snow's hand was paused mid reach for the door handle and she was looking at Emma in open mouthed shock.

"Emma? What happened to you?"

"I was running. And I... fell," she said, trying to explain away the dirt, sticks, leaves, crush bugs, and who knew what else on her.

"Are you hurt?!" She rushed forward and instantly began patting Emma, searching for scrapes and bruises. Emma batted her hands away and was trying to form fend off Snow when she heard her phone begin ringing upstairs.

"I need to go get my phone. Sheriff and all. I have to... have a good day!" Emma ran up the stairs and dove across her bed to her bed stand. She misjudged the strength behind her launch, however, and ended up sliding across the bed and landing in a heap beside it. She grabbed her head as she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Swan, finally you've answered. I don't know where you've been all night, or with whom, but you had better have a good..."

"Regina, please listen..."

"...answer for why you didn't answer your phone and why I have received TWO calls so far this morning from concerned citizens stating they saw you running nude towards the woods. Is this..."

"I can explain..."

"... the way you've decided to catch the rabid animal running loose that you had as yet to capture and or kill due to your complete and total incompetence!"

"Regina, I..." Emma paused, unsure of what else to say. Regina waited silently on the other end of the line. "I don't know." Emma finished lamely.

"I don't know doesn't answer any of my questions, Ms. Swan. I don't know tells me nothing about anything! I want to see you in my office in one hour. Do NOT be late or so help me I will forget my vow to Henry and I will use magic. Do you understand what I am saying, sheriff?" Emma gulped and nodded. Realizing Regina could see her she quickly spoke.

"Y-yes, Madame Mayor. An hour."

Emma quickly changed and threw on clothes. She grabbed an apple as she left, eating it quickly as she drove as quickly as she could to the mayor's office. Throwing the car into park she ran up the steps and was at Regina's office with less a minute to spare. Her eyes pleaded with Regina's secretary who seemed to take pity on her and announced her immediately.

"Come in here, sheriff," Regina growled from behind her door and the secretary cast Emma a pitying look. Emma swallowed hard and entered the office, closing the door softly behind her.

Regina sat behind her desk, her arms spread out over each arm as she glared at Emma angrily. One finger tapped impatiently against the wooden arm and Emma cleared her throat as she quickly took a seat opposite Regina.

"Did I invite you to sit down?" Regina said, her voice low and dangerously calm.

"I'm not going to stand in front of you like a wayward child or a penitent peasant when I've done nothing wrong!" Emma said, the rise of anger giving her voice strength. She deliberately leaned back in the chair and rest one foot on the opposite knee. Regina's lip curled at the action and she recrossed her own legs. The action served to draw Emma's eyes down and she felt a fire uncoil low in belly as her eyes followed the smooth, tanned line of Regina's skin.

"Like what you see, sheriff?" Regina asked, her lip curled in a smirk.

"Yes," Emma growled, causing the smirk to falter momentarily. Emma clenched her hands tightly on the arms of her own chair, her nails digging into the wood and leather as she attempted to control the lust and anger coursing through her in equal weights. "Why did you call me here, Madame Mayor?"

"I need an explanation as to why you were running around my town in the middle of the night naked, Ms. Swan. Do you mind if I reiterate the naked part again?" Regina's eyes burned into Emma's before Emma lowered her lids and exhaled slowly.

"I don't know."

"As I said this morning on the phone, I don't know doesn't actually answer my question. The only reason I haven't relieved you of duty is the fact that your father would become acting sheriff and I'd rather scrape a troll's feet than allow that to happen. Now, tell me, why?"

"I don't know!" Emma shouting, running a hand through her blonde curls, causing them to fall down wildly around her head. "I went to sleep in my bed and I woke up this morning, naked under yo... a tree." Regina looked startled at Emma's outburst, her eyes widening almost imperceptibly. She smooth a nonexistent wrinkle in her skirt and Emma's eyes immediately began following the agitated movements of Regina's hand.

"How did you get home?" Regina asked and Emma took a deep breath. Regina's slender fingers were now resting against the hem of her skirt, the one finger tapping lightly at the skin of a smooth thigh. Emma's eyes trailed as far under the skirt as she could see and her breath began to come harder. She shifted in her chair.

"I broke into a house and borrowed some clothes."

"You did WHAT?! The sheriff broke into someone's... whose house? I swear to all that's unholy, Emma, if you are the reason dirt was tracked through my kitchen..."

"It was me," Emma said, barely giving a thought to the conversation. She imagined her hands and mouth trailing across the smooth, unblemished skin of Regina's thigh, inhaling the scent of the other woman as her hands pushed the skirt up and bared Regina to Emma's desire. Emma heard the low growl in her throat before she noticed the silence that had suddenly descended in the room. She realized she was kneeling in front of Regina, the action having shocked the brunette into silence.

"What are you doing?" Regina said quietly, her voice overflowing with emotions to which Emma couldn't put a definition.

"I... I don't know," Emma said, her voice husky and trembling. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her skin felt fevered, her palms clammy. She was so close she could just reach out and run her fingers up Regina's leg, over her smooth calves, behind her knees and across her thigh to the edge of her skirt.

"You are far out of line, Ms. Swan," Regina said breathlessly. Emma knew she was very close to crossing an impeachable line, knew she should move away from the mayor whose voice was a mix or murderous intent and trembling lust.

"What's wrong with me, Regina?" Emma ask quietly, kneeling back on her heels as though she were a supplicant ready to eat from Regina's body and drink her wine. Regina laughed throatily.

"More than we have time to go over. Ms. Swan, if you cannot control your urges then I will not allow Henry to stay with you." Emma dropped her head and nodded once.

"I agree. I should go. I have a lot to do before tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?" Regina's words sounded forced as though she debated holding her curiosity but couldn't contain the words.

"The full moon. The creature attacked last full moon and I have this fear that it's... that it's going to come back, you know?" Emma stood, wincing as both her shoulder and leg grabbed, nearly sending her toppling to the floor.

"Are you alright?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Surprised, actually. My shoulder hasn't bothered me at all until now."

"What did you do to it?" Regina questioned, her attention already moving on to the paperwork littering her desk.

"It's where the wolf clawed me that night," Emma said. She was rolling her pants up to look at her calf and missed the wide eyed shock with which Regina was watching her. "It healed quickly. I thought for sure I would need stitches because of how much it bled, but I was wrong. Other than feeling feverish for a few days, I was fine." Emma examined the scratches on her leg which were already fading. She pulled her pants back down and over her boots, turning to Regina as she crossed to the door.

**Chapter 6: Blood ties**

Emma entered the diner later that night and inhaled deeply. She was so hungry it felt as if her stomach were a hole inside her body. A great big gaping empty hole. She pulled out a stool at the bar and looked around for Ruby. She was surprised to see Ruby sitting in a booth across from the mayor. Granny was standing beside the booth, their voices lowered but plainly arguing amongst themselves. Emma's brow furrowed as she concentrated on the three of them and was surprised when she could hear their conversation as though she were sitting with them.

"... didn't do it, madame mayor." The title was spat out is if it were the most heinous curse words and Ruby placed a calming hand on Granny's arm.

"Eugenia, I am telling you, all the signs are there. There is no one other than you and Ruby and that means one of you did it!" The last of the words were in a whispered hiss and Granny reacted as though she had been slapped.

"Regina, do you really want to anger two werewolves just before the full moon?" Ruby said, her voice low, a growl lacing her words. Emma's hair stood up on her neck at the implied threat and she took a step forward.

"Henry said she hasn't been sleeping, that she has terrible nightmares every night." Emma realized with a start that they were talking about her. "He also says her temper has been terrible, and he has implied that she has severe mood swings and is even more impulsive than usual."

"That proves nothing!" Granny muttered.

"The dwarves are complaining because they can't track the wolf in the woods because the underbrush is trampled and Emma's blonde hair is caught on almost all of it. She woke up naked, asleep under my apple tree." Emma covered her mouth with her hands. She felt as though Regina were betraying a confidence and it surprisingly hurt her.

"We didn't do it!" Ruby said. "Emma shot the animal that attacked her and I think you'd notice if one of us were injured. You can check us if you'd like but neither of us bear a bullet scar!"

"Don't think I won't search you," Regina said causing the two werewolves to growl softly but menacingly in their throats.

"You aren't going to touch us, witch," Granny spat as Ruby's stood, towering over the seated mayor. Before she knew she was reacting Emma pushed between them and stood in front of Regina, her lips pulled back in a snarl. Ruby and Granny were too surprised by the action to react as Emma stepped towards them menacingly.

"Emma?" Ruby questioned, her face confused and filled with wonder as she discreetly widened her nostrils and sniffed the air.

"Leave her alone," Emma's voice was filled with anger, the threat clear in her words. Ruby pulled away but Granny stepped closer, her eyes locked onto Emma's.

"Or what, pup?"

"So you admit it then?" Regina asked quietly. "Emma is turning?" At Granny's grudging nod, Emma stood dumbfounded trying to catch her bearings.

"Come with me. We've already attracted enough attention. We're closed!" Granny shouted, pushing open the front door and motioning towards the people seated around the diner. Emma was surprised at first as the people rushed towards the door, then realized that no one wanted to be caught up in a fight that involved the Evil Queen, the saviour, and two werewolves on the cusp of the full moon. As the last person left, Granny locked the door and then turned to Emma with an appraising eye.

"Who did it, girl?"

"Wh-what?"

"Who turned you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Welcome to my world- the world of monosyllabic, idiotic answers that is Ms. Swan."

Emma sat heavily on the stool she had previously pulled out and slid her hands into her hair. Her heart was beginning to pound heavily inside her chest and she could literally feel the adrenaline rushing through her system. Her eyes turned to the locked door and she felt as though she couldn't breathe.

"I gotta get out of here," Emma said, feeling a cold sweat break out over her skin even as her body temperature felt like it was rising. "I can't... I can't breathe..." she realized she was gasping for breath, her chest tightening instead of expanding to fill with oxygen.

"Emma, calm down," Ruby said, her voice strained. Emma looked and noticed the girl's eyes were glowing dully in the dim light of the diner.

"No! No, no, no!" Emma shouted, holding her hands out as though warding off Ruby. She stepped backwards and crashed over the stool, sending it and her tumbling to the floor. As Granny reached for her, Emma slapped her hands away and crouched on the floor. Ruby groaned as she doubled over.

"Ms. Swan, you have to control your emotions! Calm down! Emma!" As her name left Regina's lips, the word coated in fear and worry, Emma managed to grab the reins of her anger and fear and pull them in. She slowly stood, her eyes narrowing in a question as she watched Ruby pant for breath. Granny was rubbing the brunette's back in slow circles as she hummed soothingly.

"Regina?"

"You have to control your emotions, Ms. Swan. Your feelings were causing Ms. Lucas to lose control. Do you understand?"

"No, actually, I don't understand anything."

"An alpha after all this time," Granny said, her usual disapproving voice laced with wonder.

"Emma, we need you to tell us everything about the night you were attacked." Emma nodded and unquestioningly followed Regina to the booth. She slid in beside the mayor as Ruby and Granny sat across from them. Emma tried to meet Ruby's eyes but the brunette's slid away from hers any time they almost connected.

"I could hear... it... outside. Scratching to get inside," Emma began, squeezing her hands together as the night came back to her in bits and pieces. "The moon came out from behind the clouds and I didn't see it anywhere through the window so I stepped closer. It... It was under the fucking window, crouched down, staring up at me... waiting. I jumped back just as it leaped and I turned but it caught me on the shoulder as I shot it. It burned," Emma said absentmindedly.

"Emma, what color was it's fur?" Granny asked.

"It was... grey and black. It looked like a shadow even when it moved, like the black shadows moving across pavement. It's eyes..." Ruby gasped and Emma looked up at her sharply. "What?"

"There is another then. My wolf is white with grey shading, Granny's is black."

"With decidedly more white fur around the muzzle and through the tail," Granny said wryly.

"Who could it be? Where did it come from? Have either of you turned anyone else in town?" The two women adamantly shook their heads.

"So I'm..." Emma swallowed convulsively and all eyes turned to her. "I'm..."

"Yes," Regina said quietly, her hand coming to rest on Emma's. Her touch immediately eased the ringing in Emma's ears and the pounding of her heart. She felt as though she could lose herself in the expression in Regina's eyes.

"Oh fuck," Granny sighed, her gaze darting between Regina and Emma. The two women turned to her with twin looks of confusion.

"More good news?" Emma said sarcastically. "I mean I'm simply overjoyed to know that you have no idea- not what but who- clawed me. Am I going to die? Do I have rabies?" Three sets of eyes turned to her in confusion and Emma looked from one to the other. "Isn't that what you're trying to tell me? Why Regina is being so nice to me?"

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Ms. Swan, you are an infuriating idiot. You are becoming a werewolf, you imbecile. You have been bitten and it didn't kill you, it turned you."

"Oh." Emma's voice was faint as Regina's words rattled around in her head like dice. "Oh. Well, then, that's..." Emma toppled out of the booth as her eyes rolled back into her head. She'd never fainted before, but now seemed as good a time as any to start.

**Chapter 7: But this isn't Twilight!**

"... her mate." Emma came to catching the tale end of an intense conversation between the three women still seated at the booth. A roll of paper towels had been placed under Emma's head and Ruby someone was wiping her face with a cool rag.

"She's awake," Ruby said from above her, her voice distorted. Granny and Regina shared a secretive look as Ruby helped Emma to a sitting position.

"Thanks," Emma mumbled, accepting the glass of water Regina handed her. She drank deeply, even more aware of how incredibly hungry she was. As though sensing her need, Ruby pushed a burger towards her, hot and fresh off the grill, the meat barely cooked. Emma shoved the food into her mouth, barely taking the time to chew.

"You have to eat more now," Ruby said as she patted Emma on the back. "Luckily Regina recognized the signs and you didn't have to discover what you are the hard way."

"I dreamt about the hard way enough times to truly understand your story now," Emma said, her voice laced with sympathy. Ruby looked away and handed Emma a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"That's just what Ms. Swan needs- another reason to have bad table manners and eat six bear claws a day."

"I'm still confused about a lot of th-" a howl sounded down the street and Emma, Ruby, and Granny stood as one and moved towards the window of the diner. Emma turned to open the door and Regina grabbed her hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" she hissed.

"I'm going to kill it," Emma growled, her adrenaline racing through her body. She could feel Ruby shifting behind her, the older woman whining lightly in the back of her throat.

"You don't know anything about that wolf, Emma! Do you realize that you weren't supposed to survive the change? Over the centuries only a literal handful have survived."

"You're not making me want to stay in here, Regina?" Emma was shaking from the effort of not flinging open the door and running outside. Her senses were on hyper alert and she could sense the energy running through the brunette wolf behind her.

"If you leave, who will protect me?" Regina asked. Emma looked up at her in surprise before stepping closer, her body leaning into Regina's almost against her will.

"I will. Always," Emma said, the sincerity in her words causing her to blush hotly. Granny breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at Regina who returned her nod.

"We need to call your parents, Emma. We need to ask them to meet us here and we need to convince them to allow Gold and Henry to stay with them."

"What? Why?" Emma asked in confusion. Henry she could understand, but Gold?

"They may need... magical assistance to protect themselves."

"I have magic..." Emma began before her words trailed off. "Oh. They might need protection from me." Regina didn't say anything but the truth was in her eyes.

"Your first change is going to be hell, Emma," Granny began. "There is no way to know how much of you will be left inside your wolf." Emma nodded, not trusting her voice which was currently thick with emotion.

"It's a curse," Ruby said angrily, her large eyes luminous and sad. Granny looked at her and sighed as she slowly shook her head.

"It can be," Granny said quietly.

Emma drifted off into her own thoughts, barely aware of Regina dialing before quietly talking on the phone. With her enhanced senses, she could hear Snow's voice growing more and more concerned. However, she was surprised that Snow took Regina's words that she was needed immediately at the diner at face value and didn't ask a million questions. As Charming took the phone and began firing question after accusation, Emma rolled her eyes and sighed. Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Diner now, Charming." She hung up and the four women sat in silence, alone in their thoughts. Emma felt that her own should have more depth to them, but it seemed as if she were too caught up in her emotions. Besides, she'd never felt more alive, more healthy and fit. She figured it was the wolf's curse running through her, but she couldn't focus on any one thing long enough to truly think about it. She shifted in her chair before rising to pace.

As the rising moon caught Emma's eyes in the twilit sky, she paused in her pacing and stared. It was amazing this feeling of being drawn to the moon itself. She wanted to shed her clothes and run into the night, she wanted to roll in the sweet smell of dead leaves and fuck in the soft grass which would still be warm from the day's sun.

Emma's hands were plastered to the front window and she leaned back as her breath fogged the glass breaking her trance. She blinked quickly and turned sheepishly to find Ruby watching her in fascination. The other woman's eyes were wide with wonder and Emma reached out her hand which Ruby immediately grasped. Emma stood up straighter and Ruby quickly looked away before coming closer, her breath nearly panting as she neared. Emma found her grip on her humanity slipping away as Ruby looked outside and smiled, her white teeth shining the moon's light.

"Run with me," Emma breathed and Ruby nodded eagerly, her hands already going to untie the cloak at her throat. Emma shrugged off her jacket and was quickly removing her boots before she felt Regina's hand on her arm. "Regina, come."

"Emma, your son and parents are walking down the street. See them?" Regina pointed to the three people walking quickly towards the diner. Snow's face was pulled in worry but she was smiling and chatting with Henry, unwilling to allow the boy to worry. Emma's heart melted and she smiled, her hands thudding once more against the glass as she watched them come closer.

Ruby yanked the door open, her eyes reflecting an amber yellow in the evening's light. Snow's face softened and she touched Ruby's cheek, her smile just for the other woman before entering the diner. Her gaze fell on Emma who was standing silently, watching them approach.

"Henry, let's go round up some sandwiches and drinks for everyone, hmm?" Granny said, motioning for Ruby to join the two of them. Ruby seemed torn, her eyes flickering from Emma to the window then back to where Granny and Henry waited for her. She shuddered as she retied the cloak and her humanity fell like a mask over the wolf inside. As the three disappeared into the kitchen, Snow and Charming turned expectantly to Regina.

"Well, you aren't going to like this," Regina said, running her hand through the black silk of her hair. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth, but before she had a chance to say anything further Charming interrupted with an accusatory rant.

"What did you do to Emma? Snow and Emma may trust you, but I never will. I know what you are and I will NEVER let myself forget it."

"Good for you, Charming. Once more you prove that you're an even bigger idiot than I'd given you credit for."

"Emma?" Snow questioned softly and Emma turned to face her mother. The light from the streetlamp outside hit her eyes and turned them a soft, iridescent green. Snow's hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened as tears threatened to spill.

"It was Granny or Ruby," Regina said quietly.

"Who? What? Can someone please explain to me what's going on?" Charming demanded and Snow turned to him angrily.

"Can you please contain your damned temper for two minutes? If you'd let Regina talk you'd know what was going on. Our daughter has been curse- and, no, Regina didn't do it."

"How do you know?" Charming asking, turning belligerently to glare at Regina. Emma growled low in her throat and stepped in front of Regina, her luminescent eyes following her father's every movement. Charming's own eyes widened and he took an unplanned step backwards.

"Because only a werewolf could have cursed Emma." Snow and Charming looked into one another's eyes and it seemed to Emma as though they had an entire conversation in their shared glance. She felt as though she had let them down in the worst way, and her heart ached inside of her as she realized she didn't want to lose what she had just found with them.

"I'm still me," Emma said quietly.

"Of course you are, honey," Snow said, her smile wide and tremulous. "You are the perfect no matter who or what you are or choose to be." Snow laughed and turned to Charming who was watching her with a smile tilting the corner of his mouth.

"So Emma is like Jacob from twilight?" Henry asked from the doorway, taking a big bite from a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as she regarded the adults with interest.

"Ew, god, no, Henry. Really? Give me a little more credit."

**Chapter 8: Monster Unmasked**

Henry, Snow, and Charming were at the apartment where Gold had willing agreed to stay the next two nights out of a sense of familial duty. He had seemed pleased they had called him and asked for his involvement as a family member and not just a magic wielder. Regina had looked irritated with all the emotions running through the group and her feelings were quickly transferring to Emma.

It was agreed that Emma would stay the night with Regina, and even Charming took one look at the feral glint in Emma's eyes and didn't argue. As Emma pulled in beside Regina, the mayor exited her black Mercedes with a derisive eye roll at Emma's bug.

"When are you going to grow up and get rid of that death trap, Ms. Swan?"

"She's been my only friend through a lot of shit," Emma said, affectionately patting the bug's hood. "I couldn't possibly replace her." Regina shook her hand and motioned for Emma to follow her.

Which is something Emma gladly did as she watched the slow sway of Regina's hips as she moved up the walk. The muscles in her calves flexed as she took the steps to the porch and Emma's mouth went dry as she imagined what the muscles in her thighs looked like. When Regina cleared her throat and Emma looked up and met her eyes, a rush of lust slammed Emma like a train and nearly threw her backwards.

"Sheriff?" Regina said hesitantly as Emma slowly climbed the steps and moved into Regina's personal space, her eyes never leaving Regina's.

Emma felt the pulse of lust rushing between them like a heartbeat, the tide of desire moving fluidly between them as though controlled by the moon. Regina stepped backwards until her back thudded against her front door, her hands splaying palm down against the door at her sides.

"You feel it, too, don't you," Emma said, her voice low and husky and she moved closer.

"It's the change," Regina began, the words catching in her throat as Emma's fingers moved against her chin and tilted her head. "You don't know what you're doing," Regina tried again and Emma chuckled darkly as she brushed her lips against Regina's neck.

"I know exactly what I'm doing and what I want. For the first time everything is so clear, so uncluttered. I've wanted you for a very long time, Regina." Emma placed an open mouthed kiss over Regina's pulse point and the mayor felt her legs almost give out beneath her. She quickly twined one around around Emma's neck and slid the other into her hair and over her head, holding her close as she melted beneath Emma's ministrations.

"W-why?" Regina managed to get past the sighs and gasps as Emma trailed licks and kisses over her neck and to the v of her shirt where her cleavage teased and tantalized. She gasped in shock when Emma's hands took either side of her shirt and ripped it open sending buttons flying across the porch in all directions.

"You're gorgeous," Emma breathed. "You're wonderful." Her lips trailed over Regina's chin and hovered over the brunette's lips as her nailed slowly trailed up Regina's side towards the heaving mounds of Regina's breasts. Emma's eyes were staring intently into Regina's and Regina could clearly see her dilated pupils. However, it was the emotion in Emma's beautiful, gold and green striated eyes that won her attention. "I know you feel it, too, this connection between us. I know you, Regina."

Regina's eyes closed at the words and she closed the distance and pressed her lips against Emma's. She moaned as Emma sucked at her bottom lip before deepening the kiss as her tongue explored Regina's lips and mouth. Emma's hands cupped Regina's breasts through the lace of her bra and Regina leaned forward into the touch as she clung to Emma.

"Upstairs," Regina gasped, tearing her lips away from Emma's addictive kisses. She turned and quickly opened the door, the two of them spilling through the doorway as Emma quickly reclaimed her lips. As the door clicked shut behind them, Regina had barely engaged the lock before Emma pushed Regina's shirt off her shoulders as she pressed Regina against the front door.

Regina smelled so good, her kisses tasted better than any dessert Emma had ever had. She could smell the heat and arousal rolling off the brunette and Emma could barely control the animal inside of her as her hands tore and pulled at Regina's clothes. Emma moaned as Regina stood in front of her in just black lace, her lips swollen from Emma's kisses, her eyes half lidded with desire.

"What are you waiting for?" Regina asked, her voice a sensual whisper that washed over Emma like a blanket of heat. Emma lunged for her, her teeth and lips tracing a hardened nipple through the black lace. Regina moaned and ground her hips forward into Emma as her hands unbuttoned and unzipped Emma's jeans. Emma tore her mouth away from the brunette as she tore her clothes from her own body, her eyes never leaving the woman's standing in front of her, breasts heaving with her heavy breaths.

Emma fell to her knees, a queen in her own right worshiping the olive skin in front of her with kisses and tender bites. Regina didn't resist when Emma took Regina's legs and pulled them over her shoulders, Regina's weight completely supported by Emma's hands and chest as she tugged Regina's sex towards her eager mouth. Emma was nearly whining with anticipation and she could no longer control the beast inside of her that demanded she ravage the brunette panting and moaning in front of her.

When Emma's tongue slid through Regina's sex and lapped around her sensitive clit, Regina cried out and pushed harder against Emma's face. Emma's hands squeezed and kneaded Regina's ass as she dipped her tongue inside Regina, growling and moaning at the taste of her lover as it coated her tongue. Emma thrust her tongue inside Regina in tight, fast, hard movements, loving how the mayor trembled in her grasp.

Regina arched her back, her head and shoulders the only part of her touched the door as her hands buried themselves in Emma's thick blonde curls and pulled her closer. Her moans and cries echoed throughout the house as she rocked against Emma's mouth, coating the blonde's face in her wet warmth. Emma lapped it greedily before sliding her tongue in tight circles around Regina's clit, rolling her tongue when it swiped across the bottom.

Emma tightened her hold as Regina began to shake and tremble in her arms, her cries growing higher in pitch and more frantic. As her thighs tightened around Emma's head, Emma moaned hotly as Regina orgasmed wetly against her mouth, her body releasing a warm gush of cum against her lips. Emma felt more of herself slip away as her body felt like lightning was racing just under her skin. The urge to possess Regina- to claim her- overshadowing everything else she was feeling.

Regina was crying out Emma's name, her hands buried in blonde curls and tugging. Emma pulled away from the the brunette's sex and licked her lips, her eyes burning with hunger as they rose and met Regina's. Emma stood, her arms wrapped around Regina's waist. She gave the mayor a bruising kiss as she undulated her body against the other woman's, her need burning inside of her. She pulled back from the kiss causing Regina to whimper as she tried to follow Emma's lips. Emma quickly turned the smaller woman to face the door before grabbing her hair and pushing her down until she was bending over at the waist.

As Emma thrust deep inside of her Regina screamed her pleasure. She rested her forehead against the door, her palms splayed wide, fingers clawing at the wood as Emma spread her wide by sliding three fingers knuckle deep inside of her. Emma groaned at the heat emanating from between Regina's legs and she began to fuck the mayor with long, hard thrusts, corkscrewing her fingers with each pass.

Regina slowly slid to the floor after multiple orgasms. Her throat was hoarse, her sex swollen and already feeling sore. Emma crawled down beside her and twined her legs with Regina's. It was a passing thought that the act of cuddling together was somehow more intimate than what they had just done together. Emma pulled Regina closer against her, her arm possessively wrapped over the brunette's hip, her hand resting against Regina's stomach. Emma nuzzled her nose into the black silken hair in front of her, her breath tickling the fine hairs on Regina's neck and brushing across her ear.

As the sweat cooled on their bodies Regina could feel herself drifting to sleep. She tucked herself tighter against Emma before waving her hand. They vanished in a mist of purple smoke and when Emma opened her eyes they were lying in the same position on Regina's bed. Regina murmured disapprovingly as Emma shifted and Emma dropped a kiss on her shoulder as she reached down and grabbed the quilt neatly folded at the end of the bed and pulled it up over them. Regina settled back against her as Emma lay down once more, Emma's blonde curls fanning forward across Regina's cheek as they fell asleep.

Emma felt they had only been asleep an hour before a steady noise outside woke her. Her heart was thudding in her chest as she came wide awake, the sound penetrating the haze of sated exhaustion that clouded her mind. She lay still listening to the even, deep breaths that told her Regina had not woken.

A step sounded outside followed by a dull scraping. A pause. A step followed by the dull scraping sound as though someone were walking slowly and dragging something over the asphalt of either Regina's drive or the street. It almost sounded the someone were dragging a shovel behind them as they walked.

Emma tried to slow her breathing and stilled her movements so as not to wake Regina; she just knew the mayor would want to go inspect the noise and Emma didn't think she had the courage in her at the moment to do so. She gasped as the footsteps slowly came closer, the dragging sound seeming to echo off the walls off the room. Emma held her breath as the footsteps paused at the bottom of Regina's drive before continuing down the road. She let out a shaky breath.

"What do you think that was?" Regina whispered quietly causing Emma to jump almost three feet vertically.

"What the fuck, Regina? You trying to give me a heart attack?" Emma sat up and clutched at her chest where he heart was pounding rapidly. Regina sat up and looked at her, amusement ghosting across the concern on her features. "I don't know and I really don't want to go out there and find out."

The two sat and listened and Emma realized with a growing sense of horror that the dragging noise was growing louder as it neared the house once more, the steps much quicker than they had been before.

"Fuck, Regina, I think whatever it was it heard us. What if it's the other... ?" She let her words trail off as the scraping turned up the drive and began to creep towards the door. It was quieter now as though it were attempting stealth. Regina placed her finger over her lips then pointed to the stairs. Emma adamantly shook her head. She was not going to go downstairs. Regina sighed quietly in exasperation before standing, grabbing a short silk robe and wrapping it around herself. She turned to look at Emma, hands on her hips and eyebrow raised. Emma threw a pillow over her face and wanted to scream.

She slowly stood and arched her own brow as Regina's eyes tracked her form appreciatively. The mayor licked her lips and Emma smiled towards the bed. Regina may have conceded to the silent request but then a heavy footstep thudded onto the porch and the women shared wide eyed looks. Emma desperately wished in that moment that she wasn't the sheriff. Regina motioned her to the door in a quick shooing motion and Emma thrust her hands to the floor in a cease and desist motion as she headed for the bedroom door and the stairs.

The dragging noise echoed eerily inside the downstairs foyer which was still littered with the scattered remains of Emma and Regina's clothing. Emma leaned forward as far as she could over bannister trying to make out an image behind the small windows to either side of the door. Goose pimples prickled over her skin as her eyes made out a large shadow standing motionless, directly in front of the door just as the dragging noise ceased. Emma could make out the shape of something that appeared human, but twisted as though an insane artist had slapped a few body parts together and breathed life into the creation.

Emma barely stopped herself from falling over the bannister when Regina poked her in the side startling her, a soft gasp of surprise rushing past her lips before she could stop it. She turned to glare at Regina, the two of them maintaining eye contact as they listened intently. Emma squeezed her eyes shut as a soft scratching sounded at the door.

"What the fuck _IS_ that?" Emma mouthed silently and Regina shook her head slowly, eyes wide and unblinking as she turned to look at the door. She turned back and nudged Emma down the stairs.

"Go look out the window," she mouthed and Emma's eyes widened comically.

"Are you fucking _nuts?" _Regina shrugged and nodded. Emma couldn't help herself- the action was so uncharacteristic of Regina it made her smile. The smile quickly disappeared as a solid thump was heard on the porch and then the sound of footsteps and dragging receded off the porch and down the drive. The two women let out deep sighs of relief.

"Go look now," Regina said in a low whisper.

"Not by myself," Emma breathed, grabbing Regina's hand and tugging. Regina resisted at first before allowing Emma to drag her down the stairs. The dragging sound turned onto the road and began edging away. Emma felt her courage beginning to return somewhat.

"You realize you are technically a monster now," Regina said, her voice teasing. Emma stopped mid-step causing Regina to run into her back and sending them stumbling down the remaining stairs. As Regina groused at Emma's 'clumsiness', Emma ignored her as she thought over the truth of Regina's words.

"I am, aren't I? I'm a fucking BADASS monster! I'm a werewolf!" Regina frantically made shushing noises with her hands as she stared fearfully at the door. Emma lowered her voice somewhat. "I'm a werewolf with _magic. _Admit it, you're jealous." Regina gave her a flat look before smoothing her robe. Emma rolled her eyes as she crossed to the door. The dragging noise had diminished in the distance and Emma took a deep breath as she unbolted the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Regina screeched in a whisper which impressed Emma who knew how difficult it was to screech indignantly and whisper at the same time.

"It's gone. I just want to look on the porch and see, I don't know, if it left ectoplasm or whatever behind."

"You go right ahead, Ms. Swan. I am going to stay over here." Regina walked back to the staircase and put one foot on the bottom step and a hand on the bannister. Emma realized that the mayor was ready to run and leave her behind to deal with the aftermath of her stupidity. Emma shrugged.

Emma opened the door slowly, keeping her foot in front of it where nothing could slam the door into her or wide open. She peeked out the small space, her eyes darting over the porch and the yard. The night was still and quiet, the moon luminous and promising. Emma opened the door wider, her eyes fixated on the moon. Regina quietly appeared at her side and they shared a look before stepping out onto the porch.

As the moon bathed them in a silvery glow Emma felt her body begin to burn. She gasped as she dropped to her knees, her skin feeling as though it were completely fluid and rippling in waves as an unimaginable pain ripped through her. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, her lips pulling back in agony. A howl tore from her throat, the sound guttural and feral in the night.

Regina took a step back, a look of horror and terror painting her features. Emma took a step forward, her hands fusing and twisting. Emma felt as though she were falling asleep as another consciousness woke inside her, a consciousness aware of only two things: hunger and need. Emma cried out in her mind as the feral mind shook its body before turning its eyes to Regina.

"Emma?" Regina said hesitantly. Emma wailed inside her locked consciousness as she sensed the creature crouching, it's snarl splitting her gums in a maddening grin of intent. As the creature leaped, Regina tried to cast a spell but the creature was too fast. Emma felt the hot spray of her lover's blood coat her tongue, muzzle, and chest. Her sanity began to slip as she saw Regina's eyes bulge as the wolf shook its jaws, spraying blood, flesh, and bits of bone across the porch and the front of the house until the hot arterial spray slowed and stopped.

"Regina!" Emma screamed, beating her fists against the porch. "Please! I'm so sorry... I'm sorry!" The sobs wracked her nude frame as Emma screamed until she felt something tear in her throat. Further down Regina's street she saw porch lights coming on, but she didn't care. What had she done?

"Emma! Emma! It's okay, I'm here. I've got you." Regina knelt down beside Emma, her midnight blue robe pulled loosely around her evidence that she had dressed in a hurry. Emma stared at her wide eyed before looking down at herself. Gone were the paws and muzzle, in their place her own nude form.

"Regina, I killed you. I didn't mean to. It was the wolf. It wasn't me." Emma broke down into incoherent sobs and Regina immediately dragged the nude form of the blonde into her lap. Emma curled up like a child, her arms around Regina and her face buried in her neck.

"It was just a bad dream, Emma," Regina murmured soothingly, her hands running up and down Emma's back. She planted a kiss in Emma's hair, her eyes narrowing as her lips met with... was that a twig? She pulled back slightly and her eyes widened in surprise as she realized how dirty Emma was. As Emma began to relax into her, Regina shifted to place a kiss on Emma's cheek. She smiled down into the grubby face that was peering up at her in embarrassment. "Come along, Ms. Swan. You are filthy and you need shower."

Emma cleared her throat as she looked down at herself in surprise as she took in her filthy nudity. "You're never going to let me live this one down, are you?" she asked, the question more of a rhetorical statement. Regina smiled widely as she led Emma into the cool house.

**Chapter 9: Bad Moon Rising**

Emma stepped out of her car and looked towards the woods. She knew in her bones that this was where he sleeping self would come to run and frolic through the woods like a forest creature. She rolled her eyes at the mental image of herself. As she took a step forward, she winced at the twinge between her legs then smiled as she remembered just how rough and good things had gotten between her and Regina last night. Emma had desperately not wanted to go back to sleep and Regina had been more than happy to accommodate the blonde sheriff.

Emma stepped between the trees feeling as though she were entering an entirely different world which surprisingly felt just as natural to her as the city did. She realized there were a lot of changes she would have to adapt to within herself but she was unfazed at the prospect. Emma was very used to changing and adapting.

She paused mid-step as a movement up ahead caught her eye. She listened, her entire body still and motionless but she heard nothing. There it was again! She realized she could just make out a plaid pattern ahead of her and realized one of the dwarves must be patrolling.

"Hello?" Emma called and the movement stopped abruptly before turning back and coming closer to her. She relaxed as the man from yesterday became visible, his face set in a worried frown.

"Sheriff Swan," the man said by way of greeting and Emma realized she hadn't gotten his name yesterday. At her awkward shuffle he held out his hand. "Michael." Emma shook his hand before putting her own into the back pockets of her jeans.

"You look like something's bothering you?" Emma said bluntly. She had never really known how to beat around the bush. Michael looked at her appraisingly.

"Yeah. I haven't had a chance to report in to Leroy yet, but I found something this morning on my walk."

"The other wolf?"

"Other?" he asked, his features confused and Emma colored lightly.

"Just referring to you know, other stuff I can't talk about." Emma cleared her throat awkwardly before continuing. "Can you show me?"

"Uh, yeah, sheriff, it's this way," he said pointing deeper into the woods. Emma followed him as she set off through the trees, almost jealous of the silent way in which he moved. She didn't think she would ever be able to move silently in any forum, but especially not a wood filled with crackling, dead leaves and fallen branches.

"Can you tell me a little about it?" she asked and he nodded.

"It looks like- well I know this is going to sound crazy- but it looks like the um, wolf prints, turn into, um, footprints." He glanced at Emma over his shoulder as though trying to determine whether she thought he was crazy. Emma nodded and kept her face impassive.

They hadn't walked far before he abruptly shifted to the right where a couple of trees had fallen into one another creating a natural shelter. Emma ran her hand over the scorched trunk of the biggest tree which appeared to have fallen and knocked over two others.

"Lightning strike," Michael said and Emma nodded. She stopped abruptly as he held up his hand and pointed. "Don't want to walk over them.. Leroy would have a fit," he said with a smile and Emma chuckled.

She knelt down and peered at the ground. Michael knelt beside her, tracing the patterns in the dirt as he explained what he saw. Emma's eyes widened as Michael carefully painted her a pattern with his hand and words. Indeed, the paws did become footprints. Very large, couldn't be hers, footprints. The toe's were even the wrong size and shape for hers, with the big toe being much larger than the others. Emma's second toe was longer than her big toe and this footprint very clearly didn't match hers.

Realizing she was babbling to herself in her head, she closed her eyes then opened them again. She was facing the fallen tree where she observed several black hairs fluttering in the wind. A strange smell hit her nostrils, a musky animal smell that she realized she had been smelling the entire walk into the woods. She turned to face Michael who was smiling at her, his eyes glowing a baleful orange. Emma gasped and stumbled back, falling onto her butt into the moist earth.

"You're the wolf," she said rhetorically stating the obvious. "The one who changed me. Why would you do that?"

"You were supposed to die," Michael said, his voice lower and more guttural. Emma watched in horrified fascination as fur sprang up along his body then just as quickly disappeared. "No one survives being made into a werewolf."

"Except, apparently, me," Emma said, raising her eyebrow as she scooted backwards, her hands scrabbling for a large stick. Michael advanced slowly, stalking her.

"When I found out you were her daughter I wanted to destroy her. I wanted to take away the one person she loved more than anyone else." Emma laughed, the sound containing no trace of humor.

"That's not me." He looked at her, his head cocked to the side as he studied her.

"A parent would do anything for their child. I'd know. I am revenging the death of my daughter's mother. I feel if she lost her mother then it is only suitable that a mother loses her daughter."

"Ruby," Emma breathed and Michael snarled as he leaped forward, his hands landing on Emma's shoulders and pushing her to the ground.

"Now that you've changed, I want you for my mate. I will kill yours then kill your family. We will parent a new tribe of wolves along with my daughter." Emma felt a chill of fear race up and down her spine as his words hit her like a sledgehammer.

"Please don't kill them," Emma begged. "Get your revenge by killing me. You can still follow your original plan. I won't fight you." Michael looked at her, his lip twisting in disgust.

"Once you become your wolf you'll never beg anyone for anything again. I hope you fucked your mate well last night and kissed her goodbye this morning. You'll never see her, your mother, your father, or your son again." Emma screamed her rage at the sky as his fist landed heavily against her temple, creating an eerie dent in her skull and knocking her out cold.

Emma woke to her body burning. She felt as if she had been set on fire and the flames were pulsing in time to the pounding in her skull. She wanted to reach up and feel the wound, she had felt her head crush earlier and she knew deep down she should have never woken from that trauma. An icy burn arced through her body and Emma's back bowed, her eyes flying open and staring at the honey moon rising over the trees.

Her hands tore at her clothes, desperate to get them off and cool the heat that burned over her skin as though she were repeatedly being submerged in scalding water. A cry tore through her throat, the sound hoarse and low, trailing off into a gasp as she felt her neck begin to shift. Emma watched transfixed as snow white fur spread along her body, and a part of her was gleefully amused at the irony.

Emma lurch to a stand, her thoughts swirling in her mind. A haze of images and sensations replaced the words of her thoughts and Emma felt her humanity not releasing it's hold of her conscious but letting go and allowing the wolf to assert itself. The wolf snarled and fought against her, anxious to save her mate, her cub, her family. Emma agreed with the wolf and released the last reins of control. She felt herself sliding into a primal consciousness that made room for her, a voice of human reason in body and mind of passion and sensation. She was no longer Emma. She was less, she was more- she was mate and mother, love and vengeance.

Taking off at a run, she sniffed the air and her lips pulled back at the sickening smell of the he who had crept through her earlier. He was sick, his insanity oozing from him and threatening to choke her. She sneezed loudly, her paws barely touching the earth as she ran quietly through the trees, leaping over fallen logs and startling prey into hiding. She was hungry but she ignored the food, her hunt was for something larger, something dangerous and deadly.

She burst through the trees and the amber moon shone down, it's light reflecting off her white fur and casting her in a golden glow. Her eyes glowed in the light, one eye green and one eye blue. She tilted her head back and howled angrily and sorrowfully towards where the town lay spread out below her, the tone low, the note held for many seconds. She waited momentarily before loping off, whining quietly in her throat before stopping to lift her head and howl, the octave low and mournful. As she waited she heard an answering howl, quick and high pitched. The howl sounded once more from below her in the town and she began to run towards her mate.

As she approached the white house, she lifted her head and howled once more, listening as the answering howl sounded briefly, closer. She padded towards the steps and stopped as she regarded the large grey and black wolf that stood in her path, baring his teeth at her. She stared him in the eye, her ears raising and moving forward on her head, her eyes wild as she focused on him completely. Her tail lifted and twitched to the side like a angry cat as her lips pulled back revealing her teeth.

A moan of pain from inside the house caught her attention and the Emma voice inside her began agonizing over what the male had done to their mate while he was in his human form. She shifted sideways, rolling her eyes to peer briefly in the door and saw her mate lying on the floor. She sniffed the air and could smell the tang of blood causing the Emma voice to cry out in fear. The wolf answered with a whine before crouching, her pelt bristling and hackles rising.

Suddenly the male turned and ran towards the house, his intent obvious. He had waited for her so she could see him kill her mate. He wanted to claim her as his own and she had to witness the kill. She ran after him, realizing she wasn't going to catch him before he sank his teeth into her mate. With a snarl, she leaped from the bottom of the porch, darting her head forward and tucking her legs into her body as she hit him in the side just before his teeth closed around her mate's throat, the force of her momentum crashing him against the far wall.

He stood and growled, his teeth snapping the air as he moved. She stood over her mate, using her body as a shield as he circled closer. He darted forward and nipped at her leg, his teeth catching and tearing, causing blood to mix with the white of her fur. She yelped but didn't move, turning to keep her eyes on his. A noise behind her distracted her and she turned at the new threat, recognizing the female's smell as the one was litter mates with the Emma voice inside her. _Ruby._

As her attention shifted, he barreled forward and she barely dodged his teeth in her throat as they landed in her shoulder instead. She cried out before the sounds turned into snarls as she used her body to shove him backwards, her teeth grabbing his back and spinning him. He fell away from her, his eyes wild and burning with his hatred. He whined at the wolf who stood in the doorway, her eyes watching calmly as the two dominant wolves battled.

He ran at her, spinning at the last second to snap at her mate, his teeth dangerously close to her stomach as her mate tried to pull herself into a corner. She crashed her wounded shoulder into him sending him off course but he quickly recovered. She whined at her mate, her mind unable to determine why her mate didn't stand and hide. _She's bound,_ the Emma voice said directly her eyes to the ropes that twined from her wrists and connected to her ankles. She sniffed the air and the heavy scent of drug was easily caught on her mate's exhale. She trembled in her rage and turned, her eyes burning with rage.

Time seemed to slow for Emma and her wolf as they joined their conscious fully, the wolf's instincts and Emma's human intelligence merging. As he leaped into the air, his paw slashing downwards towards the woman on the floor, the Emma wolf jumped and caught him in the air, grabbing him the throat as his claws ripped through her side and underbelly. She didn't release her jaw lock even as the agony arced through her, instead clamping her jaws tighter as he struggled within her grip. His teeth clacked loudly together in her ear and with a snarl, Emma jerked her head back as she pushed him forward, ripping his throat out in a gout of hot gore.

He fell, his paws scrabbling at the floor as the luminescence died in his eyes. As his form began to change as he died, she threw her head back and howled, the sound triumphant and challenging. She turned to face the female in the door prepared to fight but the female _Ruby _peered back at her, her ears lying back slightly, her eyes wide as she panted. She relaxed and limped to her mate, nudging her gently as she licked gently at the wounds that adorned her face. Taking the rope in her teeth, she began to chew, careful to not graze her teeth against the woman's skin.

The darker wolf turned to peer into the night, her tail wagging. She didn't notice but continued to chew the ropes, her breath snuffling against the woman's skin as one hand pushed into her fur.

"Regina!" a man shouted from the doorway and Emma turned with snarl, crouching low and preparing to defend her mate. Her tongue licked her teeth before pulling back, her ears pricking forward as she focused.

_Charming! _Emma shouted and she lowered her lips as he stared at her in wonder as his mate ran to stand beside the darker wolf. _Snow._ She turned and began to chew the ropes, her eyes never leaving the people in the door. Her Emma half trusted but she did not fully trust. She could sense their distrust of her mate and it made her leery. The woman knelt at her mate's feet and Emma lurched forward, a growl low in her throat as the woman's hands reached towards the rope binding slender ankles.

"Let me help you," she said soothingly, her voice low and soft. The wolf cocked her head as she listened to the words, the Emma voice inside of her relaxing. She returned to chew the ropes at her mate's wrists, unable to stop the whine that issued from her throat as the ropes fell away. She licked the wounds slowly, her eyes rolling up to meet her mate's.

"Emma?" Regina said, her voice filled with wonder. She gazed into the wolf's eyes, her own wide and filling with tears. "You're so beautiful," Regina murmured, her voice cracking with her emotions. She lowered her head and snuffled the woman's ear. Regina threw her arms around the wolf's neck and buried her face deeply into the white fur, her body trembling and shuddering.

She whined and fell against her mate, her body unable to remain standing. She whined against as she rolled over, the wound in her side revealed, the white of her hips and underbelly revealed. It looked like she had been coated in red paint as the wound gaped open, and her mate cried out in worry drawing the attention of the other humans. She licked her mate's hand, her eyes shining as the moonlight danced through the window. With a sigh, her eyes rolled back in her head and the wolf slept.

**Chapter 10: Dances with Wolves**

Emma winced at the pain in her side as she slowly descended the stairs. Regina had insisted Emma stay upstairs and the brunette had nursed her back to health. It had been two days since the full moon, and Emma had healed quickly except for one spot where Michael's claws had cut very deeply. Even still, Granny seemed pretty certain the stitches could come out in less than two weeks at her rate of healing.

Henry laughed from the kitchen and Emma couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as Regina's laugh joined his. She heard her name as she reached the bottom step and began to walked carefully to the kitchen where Henry was perched at the breakfast bar and Regina was scrambling eggs.

"Hey, you can't talk about me if I'm not here to defend myself," Emma said. Henry jumped off the stool with a shouted 'Ma!" and ran to her, his arms gently hugging her. Regina turned around with her hands on her hips, but she couldn't hide the warmth and joy that spread across her face at the sight of Emma. "Before you say anything, I'm fine. I just wanted to come have breakfast with my family in the kitchen like a normal person."

"But you're not a normal person," Henry quipped and Emma playfully smacked him as she slid onto a stool beside him, careful to school her features so as to hide the wince. Even still, she saw Regina's eyes narrow. Emma hurriedly spoke before Regina could say anything.

"That's true, kid, but I didn't need to become a wolf to know that." Henry peered at her and shook his head,

"You're so odd," he said, shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. Regina swatted his hand away from the bacon and glared at Emma as she was in mid-reach.

"Henry, please pour the juice. We will eat at the breakfast bar this morning." Emma smiled, relieved she wouldn't have to move, or have to lower herself and pull herself up from a dining room chair.

"So, will you turn every month?" Henry asked. "I hope so because I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to see you. Snows says you were beautiful." Emma blushed and looked over to where Regina was serving the eggs onto three plates. Emma noticed one was piled higher than the other two and secretly hoped it was hers. She beamed at Regina as the brunette set the plate in front of her.

"She was, and she is," Regina said softly, smiling as she leaned in to kiss Emma's cheeks. Emma felt as though a thousand butterflies were set loose in her stomach at the soft contact. She had come to realize that true emotion was felt the most in the simple things. "I don't know if Mary Margaret told you, but Emma's wolf's eyes are so unique: one is blue and the other is green." Emma and Henry both stared at Regina in surprise. "Her fur is solid white."

"One could even say it's _snow white,_" Emma said. Henry burst into laughter as Regina groaned. "I've been dying to say that," Emma said, her hand reaching forward and latching onto Regina's. She brought the other woman's hands to her face and nuzzled the palm before she had time to think about her actions. She flushed in embarrassment but Regina simply cupped her cheek and gazed into her eyes. Ever since she had changed, Emma had been quick to express her affection physically. Ruby assured her she would be able to control the urge the further from the full moon and eventually she wouldn't be as uninhibited. Emma had in essence outed herself and Regina to the entire town when she impulsively grabbed the mayor in the middle of granny's and nuzzled her face between Regina's breasts as she gave her a bone crushing hug. Before the mayor could react, Emma kissed her thoroughly until they were both breathless.

"Ever since my wolf I've been able to really connect with my emotions," Emma said, her tone light while the words were serious. "It seems as a human I am just as fiercely in love with you as my wolf is."

Emma looked up as the kitchen quietened. She looked in confusion from Henry to Regina who were both staring at her wide-eyed. Emma quickly reviewed the last few things she'd done and said and she swallowed hard. She smiled shyly at Regina who quickly left her stool and flung herself into Emma's arms. Henry giggled before grumbling as he turned away, his mutters of _gross _and _get a room_ barely registering.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and Henry quickly went to answer it as Regina pulled herself from Emma's arms and kissed her slowly but passionately. She murmured against Emma's lips and only with her wolf's hearing did she hear the _I am so in love with you, Emma Swan. _As Charming, Snow, and Ruby entered the kitchen, Regina beamed causing the three to look at her warily.

"Emma just accidentally told Mom that she's in love with her and that her wolf is too so Mom is being weird," Henry explained. Charming's eyes widened slightly in shock, but Snow gasped and clapped her hands together. Emma held up a finger stemming the tide of words but she smiled as her mother look at her with nothing on her face but happiness.

Ruby smile shyly at Emma as she grabbed a handful of bacon and ate it quickly. She and Granny had explained to Emma that the force of Emma's call had forced Ruby's transition that night as only a true alpha's could. Emma didn't quite understand what that meant but apparently it was a big deal and meant that Ruby was in her pack. Granny had shifted awkwardly when Ruby had informed Emma that Granny had very nearly been forced to turn and that could only mean that she took was part of Emma's pack. Emma wasn't certain if she wanted to cranky woman around that much. Snow had been thrilled and had immediately declared Ruby her family as they had always been as close as sisters. Emma recalled what Michael had said and knew the tie ran deeper than even Snow knew; Ruby had sacrificed her mother for Snow.

As Emma looked around the kitchen as her family interacted and fussed over her, she smiled contentedly to herself. Maybe she was no longer a "normal" person, but in gaining a wolf Emma found she had gained the courage to love and the strength to be part of a family.


End file.
